Whats the best way to lose fat while gaining muscle

[Beiner]

I used to be in great shape, Popped my ear drum and had to take a few years off. Started gaining weight, now Im fat and out of sape, and Im sick of it. I am starting to do 3 hours of cardio a week + 5 hours of ju jitsu. Is there any matabolism supliments out there to help speed it up, or soomething. Let me know

[Shorin Ryuu]

Well, first of all, let me throw in some other advice. If you aren't able to work out (heavily, it implies) for 3 years, then that still isn't an excuse to get fat. This isn't a me bashing on you session. I'm just trying to point out that you are obviously not eating correctly (too much of the bad, not enough of the good, or maybe just plain too much). Otherwise, you would not be getting fat...

 

I mention this because diet is as important as training in terms of your exercise and your health. Most people overlook this and just eat whatever they want while justifying it with "I burn a lot of calories." Health is more than burning calories, as your body can burn different calories with different effects...

 

You shouldn't need a metabolism supplement, all you need is a proper diet.

 

As I am going for the Guiness Book of World Records in the "How many times some guy can mention a book in the same forum", I will recommend the Okinawa Program that has good nutritional info, meal plans, advice, all that. I don't follow the structured plan, but I use that info to plan what I eat.

 

Anyway, I will respond with what I am sure was more along the lines of what you wanted to hear...

 

As far as cardio goes, I recommend swimming. It is the least impact-heavy pure cardio on your body and builds muscle pretty well. If you want solid muscle and no fat, focus on lower weights and higher reps. I don't want to turn this into another muscle building topic, I'm just saying what has always worked for me.

 

But you definitely need to add some weight training (body weight or free-weights or otherwise) because although jujitsu can be pretty tiring, it doesn't specifically have gaining muscle as its goal.

 

And make sure your muscles have time to rest in between sessions. Many athletes overlook the value of muscle recovery.

[kbgirl]

I know this isn't really the right place for it, but if you need to learn or re-learn healthy eating, I am going to suggest Weight Watchers. Seriously... I lost over 50 lbs in one year following their plan and have kept it off now for a year.

 

The program allows you to choose foods you enjoy but encourages high fiber, low fat foods and allows for increased intake based on activity level. You can even follow the program online without ever stepping foot in a meeting.

 

If you go to https://www.weightwatchers.com you will get the US site, but there are international sites too, depending on where you are.

 

I agree with Shorin Ryuu... it's as much (if not more) about diet than it is about exercise. Good luck!