One thing that drives me nuts — I’m sure others can
relate — is the seemingly delicate balance between fat loss and muscle loss. In
my zeal to lose weight — fast — for the Bodybuilding.com 2013 Transformation
Challenge, I discovered that I’ve been engaging in the latter and it’s
discouraging.
I’ve lost an inch off my arms (which weren’t “fat” to begin with) as I’ve dropped 17 pounds over the past month. Yeah, my waist has gotten smaller; yeah, my abs and chest look better, but an inch off the arms? Give me a break.
Of course, this shouldn’t have come as a great surprise, given that I’ve been living on a diet of less than 2,000 calories while exercising 2-3 hours a day, 5-6 days a week.
So, I’ve decided to modify my diet. Last night, I upped my calories to 2,200 and I’ll continue at that level. Obviously, I’d love to do well in the Challenge, but it’s not worth losing a ton of muscle for. After all, I lift weights for size and strength, not to be small and malnourished.
I’ve lost an inch off my arms (which weren’t “fat” to begin with) as I’ve dropped 17 pounds over the past month. Yeah, my waist has gotten smaller; yeah, my abs and chest look better, but an inch off the arms? Give me a break.
Of course, this shouldn’t have come as a great surprise, given that I’ve been living on a diet of less than 2,000 calories while exercising 2-3 hours a day, 5-6 days a week.
So, I’ve decided to modify my diet. Last night, I upped my calories to 2,200 and I’ll continue at that level. Obviously, I’d love to do well in the Challenge, but it’s not worth losing a ton of muscle for. After all, I lift weights for size and strength, not to be small and malnourished.
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