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Dieting without counting calories. How to dry your muscles and reduce body fat.

In this post, I would like to address a highly popular and relevant topic - How to dry your muscles and reduce body fat. I will share my personal experience and explain how I manage to lose weight without having to count calories.

Please note that while these tips have worked well for me, individual results may vary based on differences in body systems, such as the hormonal and nervous systems, and metabolism rates. However, the advice provided in this article is grounded in the principles of human physiology and can be beneficial for everyone.

How to dry your muscles and reduce body fat. Diet.

How much and how fast to lose weight?

If you want to preserve your muscle mass, I highly recommend limiting your weight loss to no more than 1 kg (2.205 lbs) per week. In my experience, this approach does not overtax the body and allows for a more sustainable lifestyle while still achieving fat loss. However, if you are significantly overweight (e.g., more than 30 kg), you may be able to lose more than 1 kg (2.205 lbs) per week, as the body is more willing to shed excess weight in such cases.

It is essential to understand that rapid weight loss can have a negative impact on human health. The human body is wired to maintain a state of homeostasis, which means a relatively stable state. Losing a significant amount of weight quickly can be a stressor for both the body and the brain.

Severe caloric restriction can limit the supply of energy and other essential nutrients, which the brain perceives as a threat to survival. This can trigger the brain to switch into survival mode and slow down the body's life processes to conserve resources. As a result, you may feel lethargic, lack vitality, experience mood swings, and have constant thoughts about food. This can lead to significant psychological stress, which is detrimental to overall well-being.

Under certain conditions, your body can utilize its muscle protein as a source of fuel, which occurs when fat is depleted and not obtained in sufficient quantities from food. The rationale is that fat serves as an essential energy source that needs to be conserved and used judiciously, while muscles require energy for maintenance, which is currently in limited supply. As a result, the body may break down muscle mass for survival purposes, but only the necessary amount of muscle mass required for survival will be retained.

General Recommendations to Reduce Body Fat and "Dry" Your Muscles

In my opinion, a diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables is ideal, as they are easily digestible and provide numerous health benefits.

The fundamental principle for reducing body fat is to consume fewer calories than your body expends in a day.

Therefore, it's crucial to understand how many calories your body needs. There are two approaches to following this diet: counting calories and non-calorie counting.

If you prefer not to count calories, you may skip ahead to the section that interests you. Otherwise, you can use the following two formulas (simpler and a bit complex) to determine your calorie needs.

Calculation of daily caloric needs.

The daily caloric requirements are determined by adding the energy expended on basal metabolism to the energy utilized during physical activities.

Basal metabolism refers to the minimum amount of energy necessary to maintain normal bodily functions without taking into account physical activity.

Example of calculation for a man of 80 kg, with a mobile lifestyle, up to 30 years old.

For the calculation of daily calorie needs requirements, I use coefficients and numbers in the table below, that were determined experimentally.

Table
Age Basic metabolism Standard deviation
Men
18-30 15.8 x(kg)+679 +-151
30-60 11.6 x(kg)+879 +-164
>60 13.5 x(kg)+487 +-148
Women
18-30 14.7 x(kg)+496 +-121
30-60 8.7 x(kg)+829 +-108
>60 10.5 x(kg)+596 +-108

The energy spent in physical activities:
400 calories - a sedentary lifestyle
600 calories - a mobile lifestyle
800 calories - a very mobile lifestyle

Calculation of the basic metabolism: 15.8 x 80 (kg) + 679 = 1943 calories
Calculation of the daily caloric needs: 1943 calories + 600 calories = 2543 calories

If you reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories, you will lose weight up to 500 grams per week.
If you reduce your calorie intake by up to 1000 calories, then you will lose weight up to 1 kg.

And a simple formula: body weight (kg) x 30 = daily calorie needs.

Example: 80kg x 30 = 2400 calories.

Losing Weight Without Counting Calories

Not everyone wants to do calculations to control calories. So the following recommendations would help you to burn fat and dry muscles without the hassle of counting calories:

  1.  For every meal, start by eating a lot of salads and vegetables, especially green leafy ones. Then you can move on to other foods. It's important to note that you should use low-fat salad dressings and sauces. Vegetable salads are low in calories, but they fill you up and provide a feeling of fullness. Personally, I eat so much salad or vegetables until my stomach is almost full, and then I move on to grains, meat, and other foods.

  2. Ideally, you should aim to eat every 2-3 hours as this helps to speed up your body's metabolic processes. Instead of having three or two larger meals, divide your food into approximately 5-6 smaller meals. If you are unable to eat 5-6 times a day, then stick to the number of meals that is usual for you but make sure to follow the first recommendation - eat salads and vegetables first. This ensures that you consume a good amount of low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods that help you feel full and satiated.

  3. Make sure to include an adequate amount of meat, fish, and poultry in your diet. Aim to have a serving of protein with each meal. The general recommendation for protein intake is about 2 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight per day, but if you don't want to count it, you can simply continue consuming the same amount of protein that you usually do. Just make sure you're not eating an excessive amount of meat (I hope you're not eating 1 kilogram of meat per meal! :)

  4. To reduce calorie intake, it's recommended to cut the portion of starchy foods such as potatoes, rice, quinoa, and pasta in half compared to your usual serving size, and stick to that throughout your weight loss journey. Similarly, reduce your bread intake by half as well. To ensure adequate nutrient intake, aim to replace the cut portion with a variety of vegetables.

  5. When preparing grains and pasta, make sure not to overcook them. They should be cooked until tender but with a minimum amount of moisture (for example, use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water) to slow down their digestion and avoid triggering insulin spikes, which can hinder fat burning.

  6. Drinking water can speed up your metabolism, as dehydration can inhibit fat burning. However, some people may not need to drink as much water if they eat a lot of water-rich vegetables. So I personally don't drink much water because of the vegetables I eat.

  7. This one will be your favorite :) Once a week, only one meal, allow yourself to eat whatever you really want, even sweets, but only after a workout.

  8. Dairy products are optional and can be incorporated based on your personal preferences and dietary needs.

  9. Avoid eating carbohydrates before bedtime to help keep your body in fat-burning mode.

  10. There is a belief that eating grapefruit for breakfast can stimulate fat burning, although more research is needed to confirm this.

  11. Coffee can also help speed up metabolism, but it should be consumed without added sugar. It can also be taken in pill or capsule form and is best consumed before exercise to improve fat burning.

  12. Taking L-Carnitine prior to workouts can enhance fat burning.

  13. Pre-workout complexes can be effective in burning fat, but it's important to learn how they work and how to use them safely to avoid harming your health.

  14. Incorporating weight training and cardio workouts can burn extra calories and speed up your metabolism, helping you burn more calories throughout the day, even on days without exercise.

  15.  I recommend the circular training program for fat loss. But, don't train too hard to avoid the intensification of catabolic processes destroying the muscles.

  16. It is beneficial to do cardio before breakfast. When on a low-calorie diet, your body consumes energy overnight, and by morning, all reserves are practically depleted. If you do low-intensity but prolonged cardio training at this moment, your body has no choice but to use fats as an energy source. However, it is crucial to take a serving of whey protein before cardio to protect your muscles from breakdown. This way, your body uses amino acids from protein instead of breaking down muscles for energy. You can perform cardio in interval mode, alternating between fast walking and jogging, to spend more energy.

  17. It is advisable to take amino acids before weight training, preferably BCAAs, as they reduce the intensity of catabolic processes.

  18. Get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep depletes the hormonal system and can negatively impact weight loss efforts.

  19. If you experience severe loss of energy due to the diet, make sure to eat one well-balanced meal until you are full and continue following the diet plan.

Personally, my diet mostly consists of fruits, meat, eggs, fish, and poultry, and I also consume a lot of vegetable salads when I'm trying to reduce fat. For instance, I can eat up to 1kg of grapes (which is around 400 calories) at a time, followed by a salad and some meat. Someone might say "Fruits, grapes !? They contain glucose ... but what about the glycemic index, etc.!" Once again, there is not much glucose in fruits, but fructose - yes. Fructose is absorbed gradually and does not cause spikes in blood sugar.

By following this diet and regimen, I have been able to lose between 10-20 kilograms. While preparing for competitions, I calculate my calories to achieve optimal results. However, when I am not preparing but want to lose some fat and look more defined, I simply follow this diet without counting calories. Even without counting calories, this diet is effective, but the results may be slightly less pronounced.

The unique feature of this diet is that one can eat without feeling restricted, thanks to the abundance of vegetables. Despite this, the diet promotes fat loss because vegetables are low in calories, yet they fill the stomach, preventing excessive hunger and food cravings. As a result, the body turns to stored fat as a source of energy.

It is worth noting that following this diet for about three months also has positive effects on my skin. My skin clears almost completely of blackheads and acne, which suggests that there are beneficial changes taking place within my body.

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