3 Tips to Lose Fat Without Gaining Muscle

If you’re like most women, you want to lose fat but not gain muscle. Regardless of your goals, science has shown that weight training is essential for health, especially for women over 50. Not only does it keep our bodies working in peak conditions, but it also keeps us stronger, so we’re less likely to suffer an injury. So, how do you lose fat without gaining muscle? We’ve got some exercise tips and recipes below to help you reach your goals!

Why People Want To Burn Fat And Not Gain Muscles

If you’re just starting, most fitness experts suggest you center your exercises around losing fat without gaining muscle. Doing this before taking on other exercise plans adds some mass to your body. This is because gaining muscle without increasing fat is troublesome, regardless of whether you tally each calorie you eat carefully. If you don’t care about calories, it’s exceptionally unrealistic to maintain your body fat. One more reason people prefer to burn fat is they like a leaner body. A more muscular, bulkier body is hard to maintain and is not pleasing to everyone.

Best Exercises to Achieve Weight Loss without Gaining Muscle

To start, you should focus on cardio and compound training. Cardio is well known as the exercise to help people lose weight, so you should find a form of cardio you enjoy and will want to do regularly. This could be walking, jogging, swimming, biking, playing games like tennis, or even Zumba classes. Beyond cardio, how do you lose fat without gaining muscle? One great option is to do compound training exercises that work out many muscles at once. One of the best compound training moves is the squat press. 

Squat Press

The squat press is a standout amongst the best compound-free weight practices for losing fat without gaining muscle because you’re working a vast number of muscles in one development. Squatting uses almost every muscle in the body, from the quadriceps and hamstrings to the glutes and even the back muscles. You can further intensify the activity by including a press at the pinnacle of your squat. This allows you to engage the full range of stabilizer muscles in the chest area and your core, with a primary spotlight on the triceps and shoulders.

Recipes to Lose Fat Without Gaining Muscle

Losing weight requires you to eat a good, healthy diet. Ideally, your menu will help you lose fat without doing too many exercises that can lead to muscle build-up. Including a lot of fiber-rich foods that will fill you up and keep you feeling fuller for longer is also important. If you’re looking for some great recipes that can help you get moving toward better health, here are some of the best recipes that can help you lose fat without gaining muscle mass.

Balsamic Chicken Salad Recipe

This delectable chicken salad is a protein-packed dish. Many similar recipes will use undesirable mayo, but this one uses Greek yogurt for a healthier version. Not only is Greek yogurt healthier than mayo, but it also gives your body an additional portion of nonfat dairy. This is another great way to lose fat without building bulk because it instead builds lean muscle. Nuts are another source of protein that will help you feel fuller longer.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of chopped skinless chicken
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup of toasted chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup of chopped apple
• 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons of nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup of lite balsamic vinaigrette
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet, sauté chicken in 1 tbsp. oil.
2. Add garlic, and cook until done.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan. In the same pan, bring the balsamic vinaigrette to a boil and simmer until reduced.
4. Remove the balsamic vinaigrette from heat.
5. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
6. Serve with whole wheat multi-grain bread or on a bed of mixed greens.

Peanut Butter Granola Bites

If you want extra energy before an exercise, no-bake peanut butter granola bites are the ideal solution. The mix of whole grains, chia seeds, and peanut butter makes these small bites a great snack. What’s more, at just 100 calories apiece, you won’t feel any guilt eating this snack.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of natural creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup of instant oats
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds

Preparation:

1. Blend all of the ingredients until well combined
2. Refrigerate the blend for around 30 minutes.
3. Roll the mixture into 1 tablespoon-sized balls.
4. Keep refrigerated after making.

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