A while back we talked about the hard WORK of weight loss and the problem with typical diet techniques that result in a 95% rate of regaining the weight.
To get off the yo-yo cycle and keep weight off for good, a dieter’s first priority needs to be to maintain their muscle. This is the only way for one’s metabolic rate to maintain as their weight is decreased. This doesn’t result in the fastest weight loss, that's for sure. Muscle does after all have weight. So what does this mean from a diet and exercise standpoint? First of all, it completely unvalidates any weight loss programs that do not promote fitness. Maintaining muscle in periods of calorie reduction can only be done through exercise. Strength training especially will help to maintain this muscle.
Second, it means we have to be conservative about cutting calories so that our bodies have enough nutrition to maintain our muscle mass while we lose. If you are serious about long term weight maintenance and health, don’t allow yourself to lose weight too fast. Depending on how much you have to lose, even 1 or 2 pounds a week could mean you are losing muscle along with the fat. Consider creating your calorie reduction by exercising more, which improves your metabolic rate, over eating less, which decreases your metabolism.
Lastly, it means that weight in itself is not a good measure of your progress towards losing body fat. A body composition test is a service provided by most personal trainers that shows you the amount of fat you’re losing. If slow results have been a deterrent in the past, body fat testing can be instrumental in keeping you motivated.
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