The healthiest and most efficient way to firm up flabby areas of the body is through nutrition and exercise. For the best way to tone your body without losing weight, it's important to eat the right foods and focus on a weight-training program. Eating foods high in protein and lifting weights three times a week will lead to a tighter body without any loss of weight. Muscle doesn't take up as much space as fat, so focusing on muscle growth will not only make your body look and feel tighter but also will help you maintain your current weight.
Tip
To build muscle efficiently, you should be consuming enough protein in grams each day to match your body weight in pounds. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, try to consume 150 grams of protein a day.
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Stoke Your Metabolism
Change your diet. Because you'll be building muscle but not losing weight you must focus on eating high-protein foods that are low in calories and saturated fat. Eat a protein, a vegetable and a fruit for every meal possible. Try to eat every few hours to help keep your metabolism high and your muscles fed properly.
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Consume a whey or soy protein shake immediately after each workout. Ideally, you should take in about 50 grams of protein after a workout. Drink a protein shake each morning in addition to the post-workout shakes.
Work Out to Maintain Weight
Begin a weight-training routine. Use a high-quality weight bench set, dumbbells and an exercise ball (for working the core of the body). Start with light weights to avoid injury. Each workout should last 30 to 45 minutes, and you should do three sets of each exercise. The ideal number of repetitions is 12 to 15 per set; use enough weight so that you can do no more than this number of reps.
Work out three times a week with a rest day between workouts. Muscles need time to heal after being broken down during a resistance workout. Focus on two or three muscle groups per workout. For example, Day 1 could involve chest and back muscles, Day 2 could be devoted to legs and abdominal muscles and Day 3 could focus on arms and shoulders.
Increase the amount of weight you are lifting from week to week. As a general rule, do not exceed more than a 10 percent increase in weight from week to week.
Read more: 11 Ways to Measure Your Fitness Progress
How Long It Takes
Follow your diet and exercise program for at least four to six weeks, and the results will be noticeable. You will have a much more toned body, and your body weight will be about the same as when you started the new routine.
What you can do as well is to stay on course by taking your key measurements before you begin. Use a measuring tape to measure around your arms, chest, waist, hips and thighs. And weigh yourself of course. Record the numbers in a notebook or online fitness app and repeat at least once a month. Building muscle but not losing weight is a balancing act.
Warning
Always consult a doctor before beginning any type of weight-training program.
If you feel faint, nauseated, out of breath or weak during a workout, stop exercising immediately.