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How to eat if you're satisfied with your weight but not with your figure?

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2013-11-24

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Regarding how to eat while losing weight and while gaining mass, I've already written before. But what to do if you are generally satisfied with your body weight but want better definition? Such people do not want to lose weight or gain weight. How should they eat?

In general, the principles are more similar to those for weight loss since the main goal in both cases is to eliminate excess fat. However, there are differences. If your body weight corresponds to your height but you have a lot of excess fat, it means you have little muscle. Below are the key nutritional principles for achieving better definition.

You need to consume exactly as many calories as you expend each day. You can find out how many calories you expend here. As for how much you consume, you can find out here. It's simple: if you don't want your weight to change, your energy intake must equal your energy expenditure. This is the fundamental rule for maintaining body weight.

You should focus on high-protein food. This means making every effort to change the muscle-to-fat ratio in favor of muscles. Sports nutrition can also be very helpful in this regard. In particular, protein and amino acids can allow your muscles to recover faster and restore their structure. Importantly, protein should be consumed not in addition to regular food but instead of it. Otherwise, you'll end up with an excess of calories.

Keep fats and sugars to a minimum. You should consume complex carbohydrates. Otherwise, you won't be able to recover. Aim to eat foods with minimal fat (fat-free). Exclude all sugary items, except for fruits, dried fruits, and honey.

You should eat fairly frequently. Ideally, 5-6 times a day, meaning every 3 hours. This will speed up your metabolism and help your body avoid the "desire" to store more fat. Eating frequently is important for any fitness goal.

You must eat after your workout. This rule is universal and applies to all goals.

You can and should drink water. I mean during your workout and afterward. Generally, drink as much as you want.

So, what do we end up with? In the end, it results in a fairly standard eating scheme: a bit more protein and less fat. So what's the secret? Why should this regular eating scheme work?

And it won't work without the appropriate training. If you do not train as needed, do not expect any changes. Fat will not disappear, and definition will not appear. Super set workouts are the best for such goals. For example:

I hope these basic principles are clear to you. Workouts kickstart the process of fat burning and muscle growth. And proper nutrition keeps this process on the right track. You might also consider trying L-carnitine from sports nutrition. It doesn’t work miracles, but it will have some effect.