Almost anyone who exercises
regularly knows the importance of protein intake in order to allow for muscle
recovery and growth. Unfortunately however, the majority of the general public
doesn't know that they also could use the extra protein in order to shed those
unwanted pounds and extra body fat.
Protein for Weight Gain
When it comes to
protein usage within the body, the muscles themselves, are usually dead last to
benefit from the dietary protein. First in line are the intestines. Next up is
the brain. Then your heart, liver, lungs and other internal organs. Last, but certainly
not least, your muscle tissue gets whatever available protein is left over.
If you think that
sounds bad, that's nothing compared to when you don't make enough protein
available through your diet to begin with. When this happens, the body actually
begins to feed of your existing muscle in order to provide for those important
organs. This is known as catabolism and is exactly the scenario you want to
work hard to eliminate.
You can probably
quickly see how this would not be good for anyone looking to increase lean
muscle mass, a goal EVERYONE should have by the way, but many will be confused
as to how this plays a role for those trying to lose some weight, so let's take
a second to explain.
Protein for Weight Loss
The most common
problem associated with most "diets" floating around out there today....not
enough calories! Simply put, limiting your caloric intake too much will cause
the exact opposite reaction you desire if fat burning is your goal. Will severe
calorie restriction cause weight loss on a scale? Almost always! Unfortunately,
this is not, or should not be the goal.
When caloric intake
is too low, the body's metabolism tends to stall, thus slowing your fat burning
ability. Additionally, when calories are too limited, protein intake is also
typically limited, and this leads to the same scenario described above,
catabolism.
This fatal mistake
often made when someone wants to shed weight is actually bad, times two. They
slow their metabolism with a limited caloric intake and they tend to lose
existing muscle, from a lack of protein, thus minimizing their fat burning even
further.
Body composition
actually worsens more often than not in these cases. Sure, some weight can be
lost on the scale, but the body fat percentages typically increases. Not the
result you should be seeking, no matter what your starting point.
Protein Needs
So how much protein
do you actually need? As a general rule of thumb, if you're trying to burn body
fat, eat twice as much protein as you do carbohydrates.
If you are trying to
gain lean muscle mass, eat equal portions of proteins and carbohydrates. Keep
it simple to start and adjust as your body does. Irrelevant of what any book
says, there is no single formula that will work for everyone.
As you should now
see, whether you're trying to gain muscle mass or shed unwanted body fat, maintaining
a proper protein intake will do wonders for your goals.
Why We Recommend AdvoCare
Since we are so often
asked what we recommend to our athletes, clients, family and friends, I will
simply share this same information with you now...we ONLY recommend advo Care products to those
close to us or those we work with. The reasons are simple, the 18+ year track
record, the integrity, the science, the unpaid endorsements, and the approvals
for use by the likes of the International Olympic Committee, the NCAA, the NFL,
NBA, MLB, NHL, WPS and even Nascar.
This company, in our opinion, truly does things differently and the comfort
that provides us with cannot be understated. If you are looking for safe,
effective nutritional solutions that have been tested, you need to do your
homework on AdvoCare. The results speak for themselves!
Looking to lose some
unwanted weight, make sure you check out their AdvoCare
24 Day Challenge! It provides diet, exercise and supplementation coaching
throughout, as well as, breakfast, 30 snacks and everything you need to clean
out the gunk and kick-start the fat burning! The testimonials tell the story!
Visit www.TheAdvoCareLifestyle.com to
learn more about how they are Building Champions and Changing Lives Daily!
Jason Horsley is the President, Elite Lifestyle Solutions and a fitness fanatic! With nearly 20 years in and around the industry, his combination of knowledge and passion are without equal. If you have any desire at all to better the way you look, feel or perform, take a moment to stop by www.TheAdvoCareLifestyle.com to learn more about how they are Building Champions and Changing Lives Daily or the 24 Day Challenge itself! The wealth of information alone will make it well worth your while and if you have any questions at all, drop Jason an email while you are there. Each one is answered by him personally!
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