FEMALE MUSCLE

While the desire for abs and low body fat may drive you, do not sacrifice your health in the pursuit. Last issue you wrote what metabolic damage is, but you never revealed how to prevent it! Don’t hold out on us, Tammy. If you haven’t progressed to a full clinical manifestation, then metabolic damage can be reversed in many cases, but it could take three to 24 months to get back on track. Here are some ways to avoid getting metabolic damage in the first place.

• When dieting, reduce calories by no more than 10 percent below maintenance levels. We want the body to shed no more than one to two pounds per week. Gradual adjustments are best. Let the body tell you.

• Never eliminate carbs completely. You need them to keep your leptin levels up and to keep your metabolism going. This will also support testosterone, growth hormone, and T3, and it will help keep cortisol in check. You can time your carbs for after training and earlier in the day so as not to inhibit fat burn. Save the high-glycemic carbs such as white rice for after training.

• Keep healthy fats in your diet. They keep energy and testosterone levels up for fat burning and muscle sparing. Raw almonds, avocado, natural peanut butter, olive oil, and coconut oil are a few.

• Avoid excessive cardio. This is a recipe for overtraining and metabolic shutdown. Maximize intensity in your weight sessions. Do HITT cardio no more than two or three times per week. Do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or after weights.

• Cycle your training to allow for more intense and more moderate phases. Allow time for recovery and adaptation. This also prevents overtraining, which can aggravate metabolic damage.

• If you do compete, allow time to gradually increase calories afterwards and gradually add foods back into your diet. This is more manageable for the body and will allow it time to adjust without excessive fat accumulation. This can take a while, and you will have to hold at optimal levels to let your body rebalance itself. You have to avoid training too much or too little at this point.

• Allow yourself time off from training. Take one or two weeks off after a contest or photo shoot. It’s also okay to take one week off every 16 weeks. This is to avoid overtraining, which also triggers physiological changes that can push you into having metabolic damage.

• Don’t get too heavy in the off-season. Gaining 25, 35, 50 or more pounds of fat in the off-season and expecting to lose that in 12 weeks is dangerous and will likely push your body over the edge. It can also cause you to form new fat cells.

• Life stresses can increase vulnerability to this issue by disrupting hormonal signals. This may include lack of sleep, shift work, long hours, relationship stress, nutritional deficiencies, refined and/or processed food consumption, and alcohol and/or drug use. Even how you think can produce stress that can ultimately aggravate problems.

To read more about metabolic damage, click here!