10 Steps to Lose Fat & Maintain Muscle

Want to get rid of that dad bod or mom bod, but don't know how? 

If you are over 40, male or female, here are 10 steps to drop that stubborn weight! 

1.  Every morning for 5 straight days, weigh yourself on a  body scale. Write down the date and how much you weigh on an empty stomach first thing in the morning without clothes.

(Arboleaf Body Scale charts more than just your weight. The scale links to your cell phone and keeps a running history of body fat, BMI, skeletal muscle, muscle mass, muscle storage ability level, protein %, BMR, fat-free body weight, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, body water and bone mass. Additionally, it can include body type and metabolic age). 

2.  Next, take your current weight on day 5 and multiply it by 8. For example, a 200 lb. person would multiply 200 x 8 = 160. The number you arrive at is the number of total grams of both protein and complex carbs you will consume each day over 6 small meals. In our example, the person will need to consume 160 grams of protein and 160 grams of complex carbs. 

Protein sources include: red meats, ground lamb, turkey, chicken, fish, egg whites, whey protein, vegan protein, collagens, casein powder, chicken and/or beef stock. 

Complex carbs include: brown rice, rolled oats (not the sugar instant ones), green veggies like green beans or broccoli, and baked potato. 

3.  As for Fats, you only need 1-2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil a day at the most. Personally, since I eat red meat and lamb for some of my meals and both contain fat, I don't add extra olive oil to my meals. 

4. Take your original number of 160 and divide by 6 (meals per day) and round to the nearest whole number. In this example, the person will aim for 27 grams of protein and 27 grams of complex carbs for 6 meals spread throughout the day. Eat every 2.5 hours. If your first meal is at 7 a.m., you will eat thereafter at about 9:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 5 pm and 7:30 p.m. 

• 27 grams of protein is about a scoop of whey protein (check the label for the serving size) or 3 ounces of meat, chicken, lamb, turkey (about the size of a card deck or the palm of your hand) or about 5 egg whites separated from the yolk. Skip the yolk! 
• 27 grams of a complex carb is almost equivalent to 1/2 cup of rolled oats or  a small baked potato or 1/2 cup of brown rice. 

5.  Since you are losing weight skip fruits for now along with dairy (except whey protein/casein powder), desserts, sweets, sugary drinks, and definitely alcohol. Coffee and tea are fine. 

6.  Drink a minimum 8-12 glasses of water a day. For example, at each meal, consume 2 glasses (16 ounces) of water. Sugar-free electrolyte powder in a glass of water once a day may be added. 

7.  Each morning take a multivitamin, D3 and a Fiber Powder in water (to keep things regular). Take amino acids like Glutamine 30 minutes prior to your workout.

8.  Exercise: Walk for 20-45 minutes per day. If you belong to a gym, lift weights and do 15-30 minutes of cardio.  

9.  Every few days, weigh yourself first thing in the morning naked. Keep track of the date and weight. 

10.  Don't be discouraged if your weight fluctuates on the scale. Sometimes a salty meal will retain more water or if you are lifting weights, you may be adding muscle which is more dense and heavier than fat. 

If your pants are getting lose, that's a good sign! The excess fat you are carrying around will slowly disappear and this should be your motivation to continue these 10 steps.

Once you achieve your weight loss goal, multiply your new weight by 10 and that is the number of calories to take in each day to maintain your weight.