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- Reduce Fat Mass<\/li>\n
- Increase Lean Body Mass<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you\u2019re a bit unclear on terms like \u201cFat Mass\u201d and \u201cLean Body Mass,\u201d check out\u00a0this guide to body composition<\/a>\u00a0to help you get up to speed.<\/p>\n
By working towards these goals, you\u2019re setting yourself up for\u00a0long-term success<\/strong>. You\u2019ll be on the path to changing your body for the future, which means\u00a0you\u2019ll keep the weight off and the muscle on<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
To start changing your body composition today, follow these 5 steps. You\u2019ll be glad you did.<\/p>\n
1. Get\u00a0Your Body Fat Percentage Measured<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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This is the most important step.\u00a0 You must get your body composition tested, and you must commit to judging your progress by your body composition results \u2013 not what your weight is on the scale.\u00a0 This means focusing on your\u00a0body fat percentage instead of your weight<\/strong>.\u00a0 By determining your progress with useful metrics like this and lean body mass, you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to get the results you want faster and smarter.<\/p>\nOne of the quickest and easiest methods to determine body composition and find numbers like body fat percentage is to use a device that uses BIA technology.\u00a0 For many years, these devices weren\u2019t accurate enough to give reliable body fat percentage results, but that has\u00a0changed in recent years<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Depending on how you determine body fat, you may get a complete readout of your body with muscle mass, fat mass, body water, etc., or you may just get a body fat percentage.\u00a0 Try to get as much information as possible using the best tests available so you can plan out your goals properly.<\/p>\n
2. Choose a Goal to Work on First<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Now that you\u2019re working with two goals instead of one, it\u2019s best to target them one at a time.\u00a0 Although building Lean Body Mass can go hand in hand with reducing Fat Mass to a certain degree, to reach your goals faster, it\u2019s usually best to target one goal at a time.\u00a0\u00a0This is because your body responds differently<\/strong>\u00a0to programs that target fat and to those that are designed to build lean muscle.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s how to decide which goal to begin with:<\/p>\n
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Fat Loss First<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This goal is best for people whose body compositions have two characteristics:\u00a0high body fat percentage\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0high overall weight<\/strong>.\u00a0 For men, this means body fat percentages in the upper 20s, 30s, and above; for women, body fat percentages in mid 30s and above.\u00a0 Here\u2019s what this can look like\u00a0(male test subject)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
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Develop Lean Body Mass First<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You may want to start by increasing your Lean Body Mass if you are\u00a0skinny fat<\/a>. You may be skinny fat if you aren\u2019t overweight but have low amounts of Lean Body Mass and high amounts of Fat Mass.\u00a0 Here\u2019s an example of what that can look like\u00a0(female test subject)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nNotice how the\u00a0overall weight<\/strong>, 132.3, does not fall in the overweight range (up arrow), but that the\u00a0Skeletal Muscle Mass falls under it (down arrow) while the Body Fat Mass is over<\/strong>. Because someone with a body composition like this has less than the recommended levels of Skeletal Muscle Mass, it\u2019s a good idea to start with increasing Lean Body Mass before targeting Fat Mass.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, if you start resistance training to build muscle, this will likely bring down your Fat Mass as well.\u00a0 Increasing your Lean Body Mass will increase the calorie need your body will have in order to maintain itself, and this increased caloric need can lead to your body getting energy by burning some of that extra fat.\u00a0 The calories you burn in resistance training will also speed up fat loss.<\/p>\n
Having enough Lean Body Mass is important for many reasons, including increased strength and increased function of your immune system.\u00a0 Skeletal Muscle Mass composes the majority of your Lean Body Mass, so increased LBM will also improve your musculature and make you look\u00a0stronger and more toned.<\/p>\n
\u00a03. Choose a Health Plan to Reach Your Goal<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Once you\u2019ve decided which goal to work on first, you will need to choose a plan to help you meet that goal.\u00a0 Although everyone\u2019s individual needs will be different, you can use the following to help build a general plan that you can modify later once you understand how your own body responds to diet and exercise.<\/p>\n- \n
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Targeting Fat Loss<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The basic principle behind fat loss is deceptively simple: according to the Center for Disease Control, it\u2019s all about\u00a0burning more calories in a day than you take in<\/a>.\u00a0 This is referred to as maintaining a \u201ccaloric deficit.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can achieve a caloric deficit in two ways:\u00a0calorie restriction and exercise<\/strong>.\u00a0 By taking in less calories than you typically do, your body will respond by finding the calories it needs from your fat mass since it no longer is getting those calories from food and drink.\u00a0 Many products today are marketed as \u201cfat-free\u201d in order to help people trying to lose weight to make healthy choices. But as it turns out,\u00a0overall calorie reduction can be more effective<\/a>\u00a0than just cutting fat out of your diet, particularly since fat plays a significant role in cell health and metabolism.<\/p>\n
You can further increase your caloric deficit through exercise.\u00a0 Both resistance training and cardiovascular exercise will cause your body to use more calories than you did before beginning training.\u00a0 Both types of training will play different roles in meeting your goal.<\/p>\n
Although some people might discount the importance of resistance training or weightlifting in a fat burning program, to completely ignore this type of exercise is misguided.\u00a0\u00a0Resistance training is very important<\/strong>\u00a0because\u00a0it\u00a0can help you maintain your existing Lean Body Mass and ensure that it\u00a0doesn\u2019t decrease along with your fat<\/strong>.\u00a0 Increased Lean Body Mass is linked to higher overall calorie needs, and the more calories you require, the more you weight you stand to lose.<\/p>\n
It is true, however, that cardio is important for creating a caloric deficit.\u00a0 How many calories you stand to burn depend on the type of exercise, duration, and intensity and you may need to find an intersection of the three that works best for you.<\/p>\n
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Building Lean Body Mass<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s helpful to understand what Lean Body Mass is so you can understand how you can go about developing it.<\/p>\n
Lean Body Mass is your total weight minus your fat.\u00a0 This includes all the weight due to your muscles, organs, and total body water.\u00a0 You can\u2019t develop your organs, but you can develop your muscles.\u00a0 The best way to develop your muscles \u2013 and thereby your Lean Body Mass \u2013 is to adopt a resistance training program.<\/p>\n
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