Weight loss is not the goal when trying to improve your body composition but it is the outcome. A common goal of our clients is to lose weight and we quickly redirect their focus to their body composition. Through this process, one can maintain lean muscle and reduce body fat for long-lasting results.
Here are 7 items to prioritize to successfully to positively change your body composition:
- Get Adequate Sleep — By giving your body time to recover, improve your performance, maintain a faster metabolism, and reduce overall stress and your response to it. We suggest 7 to 9 hours of high-quality sleep per night. If you’re not already achieving this, you may need to implement lifestyle changes such as reducing screen time before bed or stopping to consume food 2 hours before falling asleep.
- Prioritize High Protein Intake — Not only is protein the key to building muscle but also retaining it. In order to optimize your body composition, one must maintain muscle mass while being in a caloric deficit. By consuming a diet high in protein, you stimulate the body to maintain muscle mass and also achieve satiety quicker and thus fewer calories. We suggest consuming 0.6 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
- Stay Hydrated — We often preach the importance of hydration in regards to tissue health and injury rehabilitation but proper hydration can be an effective tool to control appetite. As a general rule, we recommend drinking at least 75% of your body weight [lbs] in ounces of water per day.
- Resistance Training — Implementing a resistance training program at least 2 to 3 times per week is essential to maintain muscle mass. Each training session should incorporate compound lifts to provide a global anabolic stimulus.
- Balanced Meals — Focus on a well-balanced diet that includes lean proteins, healthy fats, non-processed carbohydrates, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Remember to lose body fat, you must be in a caloric deficit. Too often we demonize specific foods or groups of food that our body needs to function. Depriving ourselves of specific foods or groups of food is not sustainable in most cases. Instead, it is best to focus on moderation and portion control leading to gradual calorie reduction and body fat loss.
- Consistency & Patience — Building sustainable habits takes time and consistency is the key to being successful. That’s not to say you won’t see results after committing to an exercise and nutritional plan after a month or two but small incremental changes yield long-term success.
- Regular Assessments — The scale doesn’t always tell the full story when it comes to an optimized body composition; take a photo or measurements prior to starting your journey. If you prefer to track metrics regarding strength or endurance activity, make sure to take detailed notes on sets/repetitions and RPE or “Rate of Perceived Exertion”. I use this method and know I’m making progress when weights become lighter and RPE lowers.
These are 7 general recommendations but optimizing body composition. This is meant to be general information and guidance and not a personalized prescription. Making changes to your body composition can be complicated and varies from individual to individual. If you have questions or would like to work with us to develop a customized plan, schedule an initial assessment with Zak!