subject: Burn The Fat, Keep The Muscle [print this page] Getting is shape is more than a phenomenon that comes and goes like fashions. In the United States, more than 40% of the population is obese due to poor eating habits along with lack of proper diet and exercise. If you are someone who has been battling with their weight or even if you are just recently deciding that you want to lose weight, it is important that you burn the fat to get your size down, not the muscle. There are so many different suggestions on the market today that you may feel overwhelmed just by searching through them.
If you are someone who has been pursuing a healthier lifestyle that includes losing weight and creating a balance in food selections, you may already know that there is significant importance to ensuring that your routines help you to burn the fat but not lose muscle mass. There are more different types of exercise regimens than can be discussed at one time such as this but suffice it to say that choosing a particular type of workout can be equally important when you are working towards weight loss. As a rule, the body needs time to rest between workouts, particularly if you are engaging in the type of exercise that works at toning and building muscle.
An important influence on burning fat and retaining muscle is the amount of water you consume as well. You may already know that water plays an integral role in keeping the body hydrated but did you know that not drinking enough water throughout the day can actually sabotage your dieting and exercise efforts? It's true. As a rule, in order to ensure that your body stays as hydrated as necessary, you should drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water (8 ounces each) every day. Not drinking enough water can cause your body to retain all of the fluids you do consume, especially carbonated beverages, and can result in actually having a weight gain rather than a weight loss.
Likewise, when you are exercising, the muscles work diligently to meet the physical exertion placed upon them. Whether you are working out to build muscle or tone up flabby areas that lack definition, once your muscles start to expand and contract, they may retain water. The best way to flush this water out of the muscles and avoid cramping after a strenuous work out is to have some water. When it comes to water, however, it is a good rule to remember that too much water, like vitamins, can have the reverse effect. In other words, if you consume a great deal of water, you can become bloated.
What's more, if you sip water all day, rather than getting it in full glasses in a short amount of time, your body will not know what to expect and will tend to retain the water rather than release it. Remember, water is a great natural resource that helps to flush fat stores out of the body. In concert with a proper diet, rest and routine exercise, you too can burn the fat and keep the muscle and end up with a great looking, highly functional body.
