Muscle Talk

Lean Body Mass and Your Metabolism

Scientists have long realized the importance of lean body mass (LBM) in relation to metabolism. The hardest thing about dieting isn’t figuring out a way to lose weight; there are plenty of ways to do that. The hardest thing is figuring out a way to lose body fat while maintaining LBM or fat-free mass. Numerous research reports have shown the connection between fat-free mass and metabolic rate:
As fat-free mass increases, so does metabolic rate. But the reverse is also true: Decreases in fat-free mass result in decreases in metabolic rate. That’s bad news because if your metabolic rate drops, it takes fewer calories to maintain your body weight, and any excess calories become stored body fat. Traditional low-calorie diets usually result in a temporary loss of body weight, with some of the weight being fat, but a large percentage is fat-free mass. In the long run, the up-and-down, yo-yo dieting syndrome will result in a decreased metabolic rate and an increase in body fat. To help prevent muscle loss while dieting:

• Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
• Lift weights 3–5 times per week with maximum effort
• Sleep 7 or more hours each day

THE MORE WATER IN FOOD - THE SLIMMER YOU ARE

H2Oh! Drinking and eating water helps keep you slim!

Everyone knows the benefits of and relationship between hydration and fat loss. But did you know that how much water your food contains also has an effect on your body composition? Japanese researchers looked at the diets of 1,200 women and analyzed what they ate in terms of their meals’ water composition. They found a correlation between women who ate more water-dense foods (e.g., yogurt, fruit, and rice dishes prepared with more water) and lower bodyweight and waist measurement. The only hypothesis the scientists could posit was that “The wetter the food, the more proteins and the less carbohydrates it contains.”