MYPROTEIN Deals – Help me release UNIGAINS Apparel!

 

Why do we want to lose weight? To look good.

 

In most instances losing weight will help you look better as you will be leaner.
However, simply losing weight will not necessarily make you look good.

 

What? Why?

 

Well, let me tell you a story…
I was 14, and wanted to stop being that chubby kid.. so I learnt about calorie counting and focused on eating less food; I wanted to get a BMI so I would be exactly in the 50^th percentile – I would finally be a normal kid. And with a bit of hard work and determination, I reached it! I lost about a stone over the journey and was happy with the result.

 

However, although I lost quite a bit of weight, I wasn’t fully satisfied… why?

 

Even though I was thin, I still didn’t look as good as I wanted to.
What was I missing? Muscle mass.

 

Muscle makes people look good. Whether you are a man or woman, having increased muscle mass will help you create that definition and shape your physique, which could actually help you look leaner.

 

Losing fat is only part of the process; building muscle will help us complete the look.

 

Does that mean I should stop trying to lose weight?

 

Well – it depends.
I know a lot of females that are skinny but want to look better, so they try to lose more weight – however what they are in fact missing is a bit of definition.
To get this, they should be getting into some strength training (either with weights or bodyweight) to help build that physique, and be eating in a slight calorie surplus.
*want a beginner strength routine? Email me at mike@unigains.com*

 

In my case, I was chubby and still needed to lose weight… but I should have paid more attention to retaining muscle mass.

 

Doing more intensive strength training may have helped preserve a little more muscle, which could have made my life easier when it came to building it.

 

Don’t just think that losing weight is all you need to do to look better.

 

How do I retain muscle mass whilst losing weight?

 

Two things: Protein and Strength training.
Strength training helps keep putting stress on your muscles, which will say to your body ‘HEY! I still need my muscles – don’t break them down into energy’ which will in turn help preserve them.
The protein helps provide the nutrients to preserve them – aim for around 0.8-1 gram or protein per pound of bodyweight.

 

Also, make sure that your calorie deficit is not too severe – the more your deprive your body of nutrients the more your body will turn to your muscles for energy – limit this by keeping to a steady deficit of 300 – 500 calories.

 

How do I build muscle mass? Click here.

 

Next time you want to lose weight, think to yourself if it will honestly make you look better, because for some of you, it actually won’t.

 

Hope this helps!

 

-Mike

 

Unsure if you need to build muscle or lose weight? Email me at mike@unigains.com