muscle loss

[Beth]

I'm really excited because I'm actually starting to lose weight now. However, I'm worried that when I lose fat I'll also lose muscle. How can I prevent this from happening?

[freddyboy]

The easiest way is to make sure that you're providing your body with enough fuel. While you need to burn more calories than you eat to reduce fat, you also need to make sure that you are providing your body with sufficient calories to burn. Also, after you exercise you should have something with protein to eat, this helps to replenish your muscles, from what I've read anyway.

[speeddemon]

In addition to what Freddy said, be sure to give your muscles time to heal between workouts. Strength training and muscle building isn't something you should do every day.

[brightstar]

Make sure you're eating the right foods and staying hydrated. Protein and amino acids are important to keeping muscles strong and healthy. If you're worried that your regular diet isn't covering all of your nutritional needs, you might want to seek the guidance of a dietitian, or talk to your doctor about taking supplements.

[ChristySmiles]

Everyone else pretty much said it all. Just don't over do it. People tend to think that you need to exercise a lot to lose weight or to tone your body, but less is more when, it comes to resistance training. You need to give your body the time it needs to heal. A couple times a week is all you need. This sort of exercise is not the same as cardio.

[Penny]

Don't over-exercise. Once you've reached your target weight, maintain it and you'll maintain your muscles. Also, give your muscles the time to rest between workouts. Unlike cardio, when it comes to strength training and resistance training, I find that less is more.

[Kyra]

Essentially you want to make sure that you are getting enough protein in your diet. This will help to feed muscles and prevent fat loss.

[Beth]

Thank you for all your tips. I'll focus on getting more protein in my diet. I really don't want to lose muscle, but I also don't want to accidentally hang on to my fat in my effort to preserve it haha.