Building muscle mass is going to require you to take in a surplus of calories because, well, let's face it, you can't build muscle out of nothing (unless of course you have some chemical help going on). Losing fat mass on the other hand is going to require you to be in a negative calorie balance because that is what will get your body burning off additional body fat as fuel for its tissues.
You can't do both of these things at the same time as obviously, one counteracts the other.
If you want to increase your muscle mass, you have to accept the fact that there must be some weight gain, although exactly how much is the factor that you can control.
So can you really gain weight without getting fat? When adding muscle mass there are two approaches you can take...
Many people take the first approach of increasing their calorie intake by simply stuffing their faces with food at all hours of the day and night! Their belief is that the more they eat, the bigger their muscles will become.
This thinking is heavily flawed. The body can only assimilate so much muscle tissue at once and after it has done so, any remaining calories are simply going to be stored as body fat. Plain and simple. You my friend, are no exception to the rule.
Most people begin their mission to 'bulk up' by increasing their calorie intake, some taking in five thousand plus, on a daily basis. And this over a period of, say, three to six months. This is far too much, and will result in a large amount of body fat weight.
A better option is to take in just enough calories to give you the muscle development without the whopping increase in body fat.
Now I guess you have a question...how many calories can you have, over and above what you would normally have to keep a stable weight?
There are many factors that influence how your body will react when you try to gain muscle. You see an advertisement showing that Joe Bloggs has added 20 pounds of muscle in six weeks, which is not impossible. The truth is he is brand new to weight lifting, has a fantastic genetic background, and he used a top-notch training and nutritional system. The honest truth is that generally it is very difficult to put on this much muscle mass.
The best rate of muscle growth is relatively small. A rate of half to one pound of new muscle every week is sufficient for you to get fitter in a more natural and healthy manner. As you can now see, you don't have any need to up your calorie intake to crazy levels.
The higher your intake is, the more you risk putting on additional body fat. As a general rule, keep it to about 250 to 500 calories above maintenance in hopes of putting on mostly muscle without too much body fat. Keep track of your current body fat levels and appearance and if you see that too much of your weight gain is coming on as fat mass, reduce your calorie intake slightly.
Don't take any notice of articles that tell you how many calories a day you should be taking, as everyones metabolism is different so your body will react differently to someone elses. Stick to the general guidelines as written here and you shouldn't go far wrong.
Remember that the more patient you are with your muscle gains and the slower you go, the more time you can spend adding muscle mass and the less time you have to spend dieting off the additional fat you gained - which as I'm sure many of you already know, is not a pleasant experience!
How often have you wondered "Will I gain weight if I eat in the evening?" "Won't I put on weight if I snack at night?" Let's straighten out this concern once and for all. You will NOT gain weight if you eat after 8 pm unless you have eaten more calories than you body has used (or unless you have a thyroid and/or other metabolic condition that can only be diagnosed by a health care provider).
Let me explain the concept of energy balance-energy, in this case, meaning calories. Weight is a balance of intake and expenditure. Intake means the number of calories you consume; expenditure refers to the calories your body uses throughout the day. When calories in are greater than calories out, weight gain occurs. When intake is less than expenditure, you lose weight. If the calories you consume are close to the calories you use, your weight should, over time, stay the same.
There are, indeed, a number of factors to consider that affect this rather simple view of weight, but for most people, the math is simple. Calories in versus calories out.
But let's look at what ELSE happens when you eat after 8pm (or 7pm, or 6 pm-depending on which diet book you have recently read). If you are eating later in the evening, chances are you won't be hungry when you get up the next morning. What happens then? You probably skip breakfast. Several things go on, physically and mentally, when you skip breakfast. Physically-you metabolism, the rate at which your body burns calories, slows down. As I have said before, when you skip a meal, you body doesn't know if this "fast" is voluntary or involuntary. Your body will work to hold on to each and every calorie it gets. This happens by slowing down the rate at which your body burns the calories you've eaten. So in effect, your attempt to skip the meal to "make up" for the extra calories you may have eaten last night only serves to sabotage you. Psychologically-you set yourself up to overeat later. If you skip breakfast-you will eventually get hungry. Chances are that you will, on a subconscious level, say "well, I didn't eat breakfast, so it's all right to eat this candy bar." In the end, you wind up consuming more calories than if you would have simply had a small breakfast of, say, a piece of toast and peanut butter, or a small bowl of cereal.
There are a few risks associated with eating later at night, especially if you go to bed shortly after eating. One risk is developing heartburn, also known as reflux. See, digestion works better WITH gravity, and if you eat a big meal and then lay down, you're still digesting food, but now your body is level, making if more difficult for food to move down the digestive tract. Oh, it will get where it needs to go, but in the mean time, it may wear down some of the tissue of your upper digestive tract and cause you to develop heartburn.
When I was a kid, my mother always had dinner for us at 6pm?). Immediately after dinner, my father then went into the living to fall asleep while listening to the evening news. Years later, he developed a strong case of reflux, and it wasn't because he ate late and went to bed early; it was because he would lie down right after a meal. The recommendation is to wait at LEAST two hours after a meal before lying down to reduce your risk of developing reflux.
So, you wonder, will you put on pounds from eating in the evening? While I can't make you any promises, (and barring any unusual medical conditions) I can tell you that as long as you eat the same or fewer calories than your body uses, you won't gain weight. Just remember, if you do eat later in the day, don't lie down for a few hours,
Hey, maybe this would be a good time for a short walk?
Both Clare Innes & Leeann Simons are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Clare Innes has sinced written about articles on various topics from Language, Build Muscle and Health. About the Writer: Clare Innes has many lifestyle sites, including one dedicated to You can also check out her Weight Loss site at. Clare Innes's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
Leeann Simons has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Marketing and Fitness. If you would like more information on becoming At Peace With Food?, as well as access to interesting articles and links to nutritional resource websites, visit=>. Leeann Simons's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.