Gaining Muscle Weight vs Fat

Muscle weighs more than fat. For this reason, the scale may not reflect your real progress as much as you expect it to do. People who take up serious fitness training sometimes report that although they lost several inches around the waistline, they only lost a small amount of actual weight.

But building muscle is not just about working out. A large part of it is about eating right and taking proper care of your body. 

You Need Protein
Muscle is mostly protein, so it takes protein to make muscle. Good sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, milk, cheese and legumes. Egg whites are a source of nearly perfect protein for the human body. This is why competitive body builders used to drink raw eggs to bulk up, before there were protein powders and shakes. You should try to get one gram of protein for every pound of body mass. If you weigh 120 pounds, you should shoot for 120 grams of protein per day. 

You Also Need Carbs
Carbohydrates are a primary source of energy to burn. If you aren't getting enough calories from carbohydrates, your body will use protein for fuel. So, you can only turn protein into muscle if you are making sure the body has enough fuel to burn as well. Healthy carbs come from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. 

You Need a Steady Supply of Fuel
If you go for too long between without eating, your body will start burning internal resources to cope. When it does this, it burns muscle first, not fat. Thus, frequent small meals and healthy snacks are necessary to make sure the protein you consume has a chance to be converted to muscle.

It Takes Down Time
Many critical processes happy while you sleep. This is the body's time for maintenance. It takes a lot of work to build muscle. That work is not happening while you are doing other things. It happens when you are resting. Make sure to sleep a good seven to eight hours a night to help your body build muscle. 

You Need Enough Water
The body is mostly made of water. When you fail to stay adequately hydrated, you interfere with many bodily processes. When trying to put on muscle, you need to get enough to drink before, during and after your workout. For every pound you weigh, you should be drinking one half to one ounce every day. If you weigh 120 pounds, you need 60 to 120 ounces of fluids daily.

Resistance Training is Key
In order to put on muscle, you need to engage in resistance training. Weight lifting is one example of resistance training, but it is not the only way to add muscle. Cardio workouts tend to add long, lean muscle and help with losing fat. They don't tend to add muscle mass. Cardio and resistance training are somewhat in conflict because they lead to different kinds of muscle being formed. To some degree, the body has to choose one or the other. 

If you want to be fit, you need to put on muscle. Some ways to foster muscle gain include getting enough protein, healthy carbs, and water, plus eating frequent small meals and getting enough sleep.

Keeping Your Fat Intake Down

Cutting calories and eating more produce might be your solution to a healthier outlook, but there's more complexity to weight gain and loss than first believed. Although these strategies are good starting points, you should also look at your fat intake as a key indicator of a healthy lifestyle. As you age, your body doesn't burn fat as well as it used to, which leads to unhealthy weight gain. Keep your fat intake down with a few tips that are easy to incorporate into daily lifestyles.

Be Aware of Recommended Daily Values

Ideally, you shouldn't consume more than 20 or 35 percent of your daily calories as fatty sources. This percentage is usually based on your age, gender and current weight. The percentage values may seem high, but many people eat substantially more fat than this each day. Keep a food diary, such as a downloaded app, that can help you quantify your meals. You may not realize how much fat is in that handful of peanuts or dip of a chip in ranch dressing.

Learn About Portion Sizes

As you try to keep your fat down, some people might go the extra mile to eliminate it entirely. However, you need fat in your diet because it offers substantial energy throughout the day. Simply portion out your fats so that you have an equilibrium within your system. A beef steak can be your main course, but don't eat a full pound of it. Remember that proteins should only take up a quarter of the plate or the size of a card deck. 

Trim the Fat

Passing up a great meal shouldn't be necessary when you take the proper steps to lower the fatty calories. Pull out that chicken, pork or beef. Cut off the extra fat sections that are obvious before cooking it. Choose healthy fats, such as olive oil, to cook these items each night. If a delectable sauce is calling your name, try to skim the fat from the juices before indulging. You'll end up reducing your fat intake while enjoying your favorite entrees. 

Swap Items Out

Heavy cream, butter and other fatty foods are often incorporated into recipes that substantially increase the calories. Try to swap out these items for healthier selections. Low-fat yogurt, hummus and skim milk are smart substitutions in those traditional recipes that will still retain flavor while lowering the fat content. Baking with applesauce and other substitutes is another example of a clever tactic to reduce fat. Be aware of your ingredients, and swap them out as necessary.

Curb the Dining Out

It's true that you'll eat fewer calories when you cook your own food. Try to eat out less often. The portions and fats inside one takeout burger alone are staggeringly high. If you must eat out, order your food very carefully. Choose broiled or baked items while requesting any dressings and sauces on the side. You can't control every aspect of your fat intake while dining out, but it's possible to cut down. Ask the wait staff about particular dishes that might be healthier than others. Restaurants will often add "heart health" choices to every menu.

The side effects to limiting your fat intake include lower blood-pressure and cholesterol numbers. In many cases, you might fight off ailments that require a daily, prescription pill. Try a low-fat diet so that you can reap the health benefits. It simply takes some self-control and discipline to follow along.