Ask the Doctors | News

In order to maximize fat loss and minimize the loss of lean muscle mass, you need a three-pronged approach. This begins with cutting back calories enough that you’re operating at a slight deficit, but not to the point that your body thinks it’s starving. A recent study in the Netherlands followed volunteers on a five-week diet of 500 calories per day, and those on a 12-week plan of 1,250 calories per day. Both groups lost the same amount of weight — about 19 pounds. However, the crash dieters lost almost three times as much muscle mass as those who followed the more moderate weight-loss plan.

To stay healthy as you lose weight, eat a wide range of fresh foods, with a focus on lean proteins, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Take care to avoid simple carbohydrates and processed foods. You want a diet that, once you’ve reached your goal weight, you can continue to sustain.

Finally, it’s important to incorporate two kinds of exercise into your daily life: cardio and resistance. Cardio helps to burn fat, and resistance maintains and builds the lean muscle mass that you want to conserve. Again, the aim here is a new set of habits that you’re willing and able to maintain even after you’ve reached your goal weight.