Shedding pounds without losing muscle tone
Q: Dear Donovan,
I am very overweight for my height. I am male, 5 feet 6 inches tall, and I weigh 302 pounds. When I hated my physical appearance I hit the gym and turned my fat into muscles. I like how buff I look now, but I’m still overweight. My daily diet is filled with carbohydrates and sweet juices. How can I change my diet and tailor my exercise routine to shed pounds but not lose my muscle tone?
A: We all have our weak areas in life. In your case it seems to be the craving for carbohydrates and sweet juices. Unfortunately, this desire has cost you a lot and the situation can even get worse. At your present weight of 302 pounds with a diet high in carbohydrates, this can put you at serious risk of diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. Therefore you should make some changes to your diet in addition to your exercise.
Building muscles can cause you to weigh more. The problems associated with muscles is that muscles are more compact and more dense than fat. Your physical appearance will show some difference but the scale might show more.
This extra weight you are carrying will put more pressure on the joints and organs. This weight must be reduced urgently. You will need to take some time to understand and accept why you should eliminate or reduce excessive carbohydrates and sweet juices to make significant progress with your weight loss.
Personal weaknesses are not easy to break. However, if you are going to achieve weight loss you must be prepared to make the changes with your eating habits.
It is important to understand why you are craving carbohydrates and sweet juices. Do you have a history of diabetes in your family? Even if you don’t, you can certainly become diabetic on your current eating path.
That aside, you will have to make some lifestyle changes. You could start by cutting back on processed carbohydrates and sweet juices on a daily basis. It is important, as in addition to maintaining good health, you will also lose some weight. Also, you could replace some of the unhealthy foods with healthier ones. For example, replace sweet juices and processed carbohydrates with fruits, raisins, prunes, and remember that some vegetables like carrots and beet are sweet. Also, instead of sweet juices you could drink more coconut water.
Regarding your exercise programme, you could do more cardio-type exercises instead of muscle-building exercises. Cardio exercise will help you to lose weight faster. However, chances are your skin will become a little softer. Once you have lost the desired weight you could go back to toning exercises.
Good luck!
We will answer your weight- related questions
Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, Suite 16, 39 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 5. Send your questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.
