Change your health perspective by making muscle, not weight your fitness goal

For many people, health is a game of perception, not fact. And this limited perspective leads people down a beaten track when attempting to be healthier – that is, weight loss. Be it the narrow lens of society or just the way we see ourselves, we all believe that being thinner is being fitter.

But have you considered challenging this belief? Dieticians and trainers alike believe that this goal is somewhat misguided. To them, a significant chunk of fitness-oriented people are going about this the wrong way – targeting weight instead of building muscle. But what does this mean? What is muscle mass and why is it so important to have enough of it? And if we’re tackling issues with our health the wrong way, how do we get on the right track?

Muscle loss is a silent epidemic, already a rolling stone by virtue of age and genetics, but exacerbated by lack of physical exercise, less movement, and gradual atrophy due to disuse.

There are ways to keep up your muscle mass while also targeting unwanted fat to give you the 360-degree health you desire: 

1. Don’t limit or cut out any one food group (especially Protein)

Fad diets might work in a pinch, but their effect won’t last except for the damage they cause. Some diets may call to cut out all fat or carbs from your intake, but all it serves to do is weaken the body. 

Moderation is the name of the game here. Consume the aforementioned food groups in the right proportions, enough carbs to give energy for daily activity, enough fat to provide insulation and protection, and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Proteins are indispensable to building lean muscle in your body.

You need at least 0.8 g of per kg weight per day, and up to 1.2 g of protein is better for those who are aging and trying to maintain muscle mass.

If you’re vegetarian, research into plant protein sources that you cannot skip out. Omnivorous diets should definitely have their fill of animal-based protein, which packs the nutritional punch without piling on the calories.

2. Women, focus on training your muscles!

Building muscle is every woman’s pet peeve. They assume that lifting a few weights will bulk them up or make them look mannish. Nothing could be further from the truth. Women do not have the same muscle bed as men, so it’s not possible to have an over-muscled or bulky look, even if you’re training with dedication.

Instead, focus on the actual reason you need to build muscle – to support your bones, keep you sprightly and mobile, and do most bodily functions well into the sunset years of your life.

3. Calorie deficit? Stay wary

If the amount of food or calories you consume just about breaks even with what you expend with physical exertion, you run the risk of losing muscle and even bone strength.

Timing your food can rescue you here. Consume some healthy sugars, like bananas or dates, for that energy spike for your workout and some protein and carbohydrates within 60 minutes after it to ensure muscle maintenance and even growth.

4. Diversify!

Humans are comfort creatures. Even if exercise is new to some of us lazy bones (you know who you are!), we soon get into a groove. Here, there may be a tendency to repeat some activities, favoring certain exercise combos and plateauing in progress by not upping the mantle.

Defeat this mindset by committing to change. Train weights some days, cardio on others. Don’t neglect any part of your body. If you can’t feel it pleasantly sore, then you haven’t paid enough attention, and it should make its way into your next workout.