As a Registered Dietitian and amateur bodybuilder, I am frequently asked for strategies to lose weight and become more “toned.” Most people make plans to achieve just that, but I like to ask people if they are really willing to make significant changes in the lifestyle practices which have resulted in their present condition. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten.” What this means is that one must change old habits to achieve new goals. Changing old habits is not always convenient, but remember, a “convenient” lifestyle generally leads to a “convenient” body type!

One of the first things that must be done for effective weight loss (maximizing fat loss while minimizing muscle loss) is to address the general knowledge deficit regarding weight loss. Remember, the scale IS NOT KING! It measures overall weight which is a reflection of muscle, fat, bone, blood, organs…and so forth.

So, when people say they want to lose “weight” what they really want to lose is “FAT.” Permanent fat loss should not be achieved too quickly. Diets that claim to help you lose weight quickly actually cause you to lose the very thing you need to effectively burn fat—MUSCLE. Diets that do not provide enough calories cause the body to break down muscle tissue to meet energy needs. This is why dramatic weight loss can be achieved very fast! The adage of “you can lose 20 pounds in 20 days” is true, but do you want to?

Weight loss is not necessarily about calorie restriction. It is about increasing one’s muscle mass and one’s metabolic rate to effectively burn adipose (fat) tissue. This fact, for many, means actually increasing one’s caloric intake in order to accomplish this goal.

I will address specific lifestyle-modification strategies and touch on dietary strategies to effectively achieve long-term and permanent body composition changes in the follow-up to this article. Remember, changing habits is hard, but the results are easy to swallow!

Kevin Andrews RD, is a Registered Dietitian and the owner of Dietitian and Fitness Services. He can be reached on the web at Dietitianandfitness.com, or by phone at (951) 326-0959.