Do you understand the BIG difference between plain-old weight loss and Body Recomposition?
If not, you could be losing out big time.
If you’re overweight, you need to lose fat, not overall weight. Losing fat will of course produce weight loss but you want to maintain or increase the amount of lean muscle tissue under the fat while your weight decreases.
This isn’t so much weight loss as it is ‘Body Recomposition.’ Body recomposition means altering your ratio of fat tissue to lean tissue.
Body recomposition is the ONLY way to actually change your body shape. A low fat / low calorie diet will cause you to lose fat AND muscle in the ratio of about 50:50 if you’re lucky. So while your weight is decreasing, your precious lean muscle tissue is being eaten away too.
So even if you lose weight you’re body shape will stay the same, you’ll just be a smaller version of that shape! You need to change your body composition.
Here’s a video of a guy on YouTube I found talking about this issue. I like what this guy has to say about diet and wellness. Watch the video first and read the rest of the text below afterwards.
I’ve been talking to Sean and he will have his ‘Underground Fitness’ site up soon – I’ll keep you guys posted.
Here’s some great points Sean raises:
Muscle tissue is metabolically active: This means that muscle tissue burns fat. The more of it you have, the more fat you burn at rest. A low carb diet strips fat and very little or no muscle. A low fat / low calorie diet can’t even compete with this.
Long Cardio Sessions are counter-productive: Long cardio sessions release catabolic hormones. This means you’re breaking down muscle tissue. This is not how you want to go about losing weight!
The Stresses of Life: Chill out! Seriously, all stress (including long cardio sessions) releases catabolic hormones like cortisol. Stress has a damaging effect on your physical body. It will hinder your muscle building dreams too. While it won’t prevent you from building muscle, it will certainly prevent you from maximizing your gains.
Body recomposition is one of the critical components of my book ‘Total Six Pack Abs’. All of these issues are discussed in plain English and a step by step plan given on how to permanently change your body composition and attain the ripped abs you want. Stay tuned friends, it’s coming very soon.
Stay motivated, your buddy
Mark McManus
Nice article Mark, people seem to get over obsessed with the scales and losing weight on the scales. Once you get on that downward spiral it turns into a very big loss of muscle. Once that goes it’s even harder to lose the fat, no muscle means as you mentioned an even lower metabolism and less burning potential. Great points!
I love this article! I went from 230 to 155 in about 2 years and I realized at the end of it that I had lost muscle simply because I wasn’t doing any resistance training.
Since then I’ve learned about body composition and I understand that I don’t care what the scale says, as long as it is muscle I’m putting on. I would love to be 190 pounds and 10% body fat :).
Now I’m on the road back up. I’ve re-gained some fat I’m, trying to burn but I’ve definitely gained muscle since I started training in January. My main fitness activity is still cycling but let’s face it – I’ll never be a racer and weight isn’t as big an issue to the types of long distance events I do.
I’ll take well-muscled, lean and looking good when I ride 😉
@ Lauren. Yes we’re far too obsessed with scale-weight. Transforming the body is the priority so measurements and body fat readings are the way to go.
@ ZenLC.
Yep, take body fat readings and be concerned about the muscle:fat ratio, not what the scales say. I hope you enjoy the journey to your goal.
Mark
I do not usually comment to a blog but I am interested in your post so I felt forced to do so. Straying off the topic somewhat, what do you think regarding walking? It is generally being showcased as the best exercise to burn fat.
everyday i find articles that i have not read! love the site!