Ways to lose weight and keep your muscles

Use whey protein and glutamine to lose fat and improve body composition. Research shows that taking either whey protein or glutamine can decrease food cravings and lower energy intake. For example, researchers from Canada tested the effect of giving normal weight college students four different doses (10, 20, 30, or 40 grams) whey protein isolate on energy intake during a meal of pizza. There was also a control group. Results showed that the whey shake led subjects to decrease calorie consumption significantly in a dose-response manner as follows: The control group ate 1,142 caloriesThe 10-gram group ate 1,064 calories of pizza for 1,115 calories totalThe 20-gram group ate 989 calories of pizza for 1,091 calories totalThe 30-gram group ate 983 calories of pizza for 1,136 calories totalThe 40-gram group ate 837 calories of pizza for 1,042 calories total A couple of things are obvious: To lose fat, you’ve simply got to avoid pizza because it is one of the most calorie-dense foods you can eat, and people tend to eat a lot of it. For appetite control, the largest 40-gram dose decreased energy intake from pizza to the greatest degree, and led to the least total calories being eaten. The real benefits of supplementing with whey will be realized while on a fat loss diet that is high in whole animal-based proteins and low in carbs. Put this in practice by starting your day with a breakfast of meat and nuts—the meat activates the energizing, fat burning pathways in the body, while nuts provide “smart” fats that set the stage for appetite control. Next, plan out regular meals of protein and green vegetables every few hours, and use a whey protein shake of 40 grams once during your day, either post-workout or when you are most susceptible to food cravings. The whey shake in combination with regular meat-based protein intake will enhance protein synthesis to preserve muscle mass when cutting fat. Glutamine is your second super fat loss tool. The cool thing about glutamine is that your body can use glutamine as an energy source for the brain, effectively blunting sugar cravings. It regulates blood sugar and nutrient metabolism and has proven effective for calming compulsive cravings for sugar and carbs. Glutamine has also been used to treat alcohol cravings during detox because of how it regulates obsessive thinking. Take 1 to 2 grams of glutamine in water any time you feel your willpower waning.