If you ve been hitting the gym and establish ing up muscle but still possess’own’nurse a way to go in shifting pockets of fat in obstinate zone’district’region s — such as around your midsection — you may wonder if it s possible to lose weight and slim down while keeping your muscle mass. Is it possible to shred without your body eating into your muscle tissues and destroying all that hard work you ve put in?

After all, when your goal may be to look as toned or beefed-up as possible, you certainly won t want an outcome where you resemble an emaciated marathon runner with practically no muscle definition at all. Being skinny works in/with regard to’concerning’regarding long-distance runners because it means they re carrying less weight and are therein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e more efficient — and they re less likely to suffer injuries because they re putting too much pressure on their bodies with additional weight. But while that s great in/with regard to’concerning’regarding them, it s not the look many fitness and health-minded individual are after.

So what can you do to slash your body fat and keep your hard-earned muscle? Consider the following:

Fasted Cardio 

Fasted cardio essentially means doing a short workout not long after you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure up and bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e you eat anything. During the night, your glycogen and other stores — including your levels of insulin and blood sugar — will possess’own’nurse been depleted. So once you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure going with no new fuel in your body, your body turns to fat stores as the merely’barely readily available energy source. It s significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative not to overdo it with fasted cardio, however, as too much can result in muscle loss, through catabolic metabolism where compounds such as proteins break down. Aim in/with regard to’concerning’regarding 20 minutes to half an hour or 40 minutes maximum. Anything over that risks ruining your muscle mass — and that s abundant’ample’plentiful cardio anyway.

Additional Protein 

To preserve your muscle mass as you diet to cut your body fat and yet continue to work out, it s essential to give it what it needs, and lots of it — protein. Protein is the essential element required in/with regard to’concerning’regarding muscle repair and growth. That doesn t mean you possess’own’nurse to spend all day in the kitchen, cooking up all kinds of high-protein feasts. Instead, you can use handy protein powder that s now widely available and make protein shakes you can bring with you anywhere. Plus, you can top-up your protein intake by carrying a few protein bars as well.

Carbs Count

Many of us who are trying to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure rid of obstinate body fat look suspiciously at carbs — to possess’own’nurse them or not and which are the rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent and wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile ones? Not all are wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile , and your body needs carbs as a source of energy. In general, shun any refined carbs, such as white bread, and stick with more natural ones, like wholegrain and wholewheat pasta and bread. It s best to possess’own’nurse carbs as early in the day as possible, as well as bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e and after workouts so you burn them up and they won t be as likely to turn into sugars and be stored as fat when you’re sitting around watching TV late into the night.

Fat Chance?

Then there s the old enemy of fats. Should you cut them out entirely while you re shredding and trying to keep your muscle mass? No. Good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) like you ll find in avocados and nuts are vital to keeping your body working properly, while wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile ones (saturated and trans fats, such as butter and fried foods) will do you no rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent at all and merely’barely reverse the gains you’re trying to achieve.

Keep up this wholesome and healthy approach in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a month at least and see if the fat comes off while your muscles remain in peak condition and maybe even acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure enormous’vast’massive’tremendous ger.

*collaborative post