A Personal Strategy for Muscle Gain, Weight Loss
The purpose of this report is to identify my personal plans for achieving two important goals: increasing muscle mass and therefore strength, and losing weight to achieve improved fitness. As Alexander (2004) pointed out, a combination of proper nutrition or diet and exercise regimens is necessary to achieve these goals. More significantly, once weight loss and muscle tone and strength have been achieved, a maintenance regimen involving both consistent exercise and diet is needed (O'Connell, 2002).
Kris-Etherton, Champagne, and McManus (2003) pointed out that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States is skyrocketing. The following table illustrates how overweight and obesity is classified according to Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of fat.
Classification of overweight and obesity by BMI
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2]) Obesity class
Normal 18.5-24.9
Overweight 25.0-29.9
Obesity 30.0-34.9 I
35.0-39.9 II
Extreme obesity [greater than or equal to] 40 III
While I am not significantly overweight, I am conscious that I need to lose about 15 pounds and that I very much need to improve my activity and exercise level, improving muscle mass and tone as well as overall cardiac fitness. What follows is a description of the plan I intend to put into effect to achieve the twin goals of losing at least 15 pounds (primarily of excess fat) while increasing my muscle mass.
The literature indicates that a diet low in carbohydrates and fats and high in proteins is an excellent diet for improving muscle tone and strength (Aceto, 2004). Additionally, individuals such as myself who wish to gain muscles (specifically, 2 inches in the upper arm, 3 inches in the chest, and 2 inches in the thighs) are well...