Body drying for women: safe and effective

What is body drying?

Athletes bodybuilders know very well how and why they cut. This is a necessity before competitions.

But many non-professionals consider this a method of quickly losing weight. Let's figure out what's what.

The main task of cutting is to remove subcutaneous fat and maintain muscle mass. Drying is a complex consisting of a special low-calorie diet and highly effective training. Changing your diet without appropriate exercise will not have the desired result. In addition, modern research claims that physical activity helps cope with chronic stress and prevents the development of depression. If you feel anxious, restless, insecure, or lonely, download our guide “How to Overcome Stress”, which will help you find inner answers and better understand yourself.

It should be noted that due to the physiological characteristics of the male and female body, the methods of achieving drying will differ. The female body is more susceptible to the appearance of subcutaneous fat. And this is natural. This is due to the function of possible motherhood. Therefore, in this article we will only talk about drying the body for women.

In the topic: how to pump up your abs / how to pump up your butt

The nature of the appearance of subcutaneous fat is simple. The human body needs energy to function normally. He gets it from food. When the diet is balanced and there is no excess of calories, then proteins, carbohydrates and fats, when broken down, provide the body with enough energy. When there is an excess of carbohydrates in the diet, the body begins to create reserves in the form of subcutaneous fat from the remaining excess. Therefore, special diets for weight loss have been developed, which are called low-carbohydrate diets.

Concepts

“Body drying” is a term used by professional athletes. This is not only a diet, but also sleep and training. With the help of “drying,” the athlete tries to reduce the fatty tissue in the body to the maximum, sometimes even below its normal level. This is necessary for pronounced muscle relief. An acceptable level of fat is considered to be 25-31% for women, and 18-25% for men. For a second, bodybuilders perform on stage with 7-9%.

Weight loss is a reduction in body weight for the purpose of healing, improving skin tone, and increasing attractiveness.

The difference is obvious already in the conceptual apparatus. Ah, this is a reason not to abuse the concept of “drying” if you are not a professional athlete.

Diet for drying the body

What kind of nutrition should you choose to remove subcutaneous fat and maintain muscle mass?
Very often, drying is confused with regular weight loss. Without muscle mass, they go on fast diets. The result does not live up to expectations, since it was not possible to achieve a sculpted body. It should be understood that cutting should be done only if there is muscle mass.

In simple terms, you need to increase the amount of protein to maintain muscle mass. At the same time reduce your carbohydrate intake , thus creating a calorie deficit.

With a lack of incoming energy, the body begins to look for alternative resources. These will become fat reserves. A process starts when the source of energy in the body becomes not glucose, but fat cells. A low-carb diet is built on this principle.

Low carbohydrate diet. Scientists developed it using the glycemic index of foods - GI. And it was proposed for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Soon, many CrossFitters began to actively use this diet. The diet does not exclude carbohydrates, but suggests consuming only those foods that have a low GI and take a long time to break down into glucose.
Protein diet. With a protein diet, the diet should have a ratio of proteins and carbohydrates of 80 to 20. This diet gives a sharp weight loss. But then the process slows down.

Many people make a big mistake by completely eliminating carbohydrates from their diet. Or they start eating only vegetables and fruits, hoping that this way they will successfully lose weight. Losing weight will lead to loss of muscle mass. And this has nothing to do with drying. And a lack of carbohydrates in the body can cause weakness and fatigue. The athlete does not need this at all.

Excessive protein consumption can also negatively affect your health. Especially on the functioning of the kidneys and cardiovascular system.

In nutrition during drying, it is important not only What you eat, but also How.

Meals should be fractional. At least 5-6 times a day. It is enough to consume up to 300 calories at one time. The main task of fractional nutrition is to maintain a fast metabolism. Have time to burn and not accumulate unnecessary things.
Keep your weight loss rate to no more than 0.5 - 1 kg per week. This way you will maintain muscle mass.
time is up to 8 weeks. Yes! Be patient. Ratio: proteins 55%, carbohydrates 35%, the rest fats.
Don't forget about water. This is an important aspect when drying, no matter how contradictory it may sound. The more water you consume, the easier it is for your body to part with it. When there is a shortage of fluid intake, the body begins to retain it in the body. And this will negatively affect the functioning of the kidneys on a protein diet. Plus the liquid will help remove fat-soluble toxins.
Eat food one hour before and one hour after your workout.
Before 6 p.m., try to consume 80 percent of your daily diet.
Try to keep a calorie diary. You can calculate the calories of your dishes on your smartphone or using a calorie calculator on websites.

conclusions

As you can see, the main difference between losing weight and cutting is the purpose of their use. If we are simply talking about the desire to fit into your favorite jeans again, then it is enough to resort to express weight loss. And drying (with the obligatory condition of first gaining muscle mass) makes muscles ideal, but does not guarantee a significant reduction in the number on the scale. And in principle, it makes no sense to torture your body by drying if you do not have important competitions ahead of you, where you need to demonstrate ideal muscles.

Obviously, the similarity between drying and losing weight is only apparent. A person who is not consciously engaged in muscle building simply does not need to think about cutting - this process is not for everyone. And it also makes no sense to consider it as a kind of diet - after all, its results are short-term. However, like the results of any type of express weight loss. This is evidenced by harsh statistics: most people who quickly lose the desired number of kilograms with the help of strict diets soon gain them back. And sometimes they add new ones.

Do you want to lose weight guaranteed and forever? Do you dream that your body is covered not by fat deposits, but by beautiful muscles? There is only one way out: gather all your willpower and start exercising regularly and eating right, changing your habits and way of thinking in general! published

Cutting training program

We will divide the training into aerobic and strength training. The importance of both is equal.

It should be noted that everything we do during drying is equally important. There is no more important and no less important. Diet, exercise, attitude, consistency, time component of the process - everything is equally important. And when one link weakens, the whole chain collapses.

So:

● Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise is a type of physical activity that helps burn fat by introducing large amounts of oxygen into the blood.
To get good results, a minimum of four workouts per week lasting 30 minutes is recommended.

Let us remind you once again what types of activities will help burn fat:

Run.
Nordic walking.
Swimming.
Aerobics
Dancing.

It should be remembered that it is the first thirty minutes of active aerobic exercise that produce the effect. Therefore, you should not exhaust yourself with long runs. Exercising too intensely can have the opposite effect and change from aerobic to anaerobic. Then it is not fat that is burned, but muscle mass. But we don’t have such a task. Experienced athletes know that during cutting they should not consume carbohydrates before aerobic training. Otherwise, glucose will be burned, not subcutaneous fat. Therefore, they often perform aerobic exercise in the morning before breakfast.

● Strength training

In order not to lose muscle mass during cutting, you should definitely include exercises with your own weight and exercises with weights in the training process.

Plank. This exercise will help you dry out your stomach.
Lunges. Will make your legs slimmer.
Exercises with dumbbells. Pump up your arm muscles.
Twisting. Effective for the abs.
Squat with a barbell . It will work the muscles of the back, buttocks, thighs and lower legs.

Processes occurring in the body during drying

The first process is the stimulation of lipolysis. As your carbohydrate intake decreases, your blood sugar levels also decrease. At this moment, glucagon, a hormone that stimulates the synthesis of glycogen reserves from the liver, comes into play, as a result of which the level of glucose in the blood is replenished. Adrenaline and cortisol also promote fat burning; at night, somatotropin is involved in energy exchange. These hormones have lipolytic properties. When a certain gland produces a hormone, it receives a “task” to break down fat reserves and enters the blood. Blood washes all organs and tissues in our body, and adipose tissue is no exception. At certain moments, the lipocyte receptor reacts with the hormone and, thus, substances found in the lipocyte are released.

The second process is recycling. Fat in the body accumulates locally and is burned evenly, but worst of all in the area of fat depots. Fat is broken down into glycerol, which is the main source for the synthesis of glucose, and fatty acids (which are further broken down) - they enter the blood and are needed to supply energy to muscles. Muscle work is the only way to utilize fat cell breakdown products.

Dehydration of the body occurs due to the fact that carbohydrates are removed, because 1 gram of carbohydrate retains 4 grams of water, and performing athletes often resort to diuretics, which is a very dangerous method, since fluid from the muscles (intracellular) is also removed. There are several types of fluids in the body (intracellular, extracellular, intercellular fluid and blood plasma). The athlete’s task before a performance is to leave as much intracellular fluid and plasma as possible, and drain more of the subcutaneous fluid. Immediately before the competition, carbohydrate loading occurs, glycogen needs water, but the athlete does not drink water, therefore, glycogen begins to take it from under the skin.

The drying process itself is divided into 4 stages:

Stage 1 (lasts 4 weeks) - transition to a low-carbohydrate diet;
2nd stage - no carbohydrates (week);
3rd stage - removal of water (week), ordinary water is replaced with distilled water, and all carbohydrates are completely eliminated);
Stage 4 - recovery (week), gradual introduction of carbohydrates over 5-6 days).

Where to train?

The decision to cut will pose a dilemma: where is the best place to train? At home or in the gym?

Workout at the fitness club

If you are a beginner and doing drying for the first time, we recommend that you go to the gym under the supervision of an experienced fitness trainer.

A training program will be selected for you. They will monitor whether you are performing this or that exercise correctly. They will give recommendations regarding diet.

You will have at your disposal:

Treadmill
Exercise bike
Stepper
Elliptical trainer

On them you can do cardio warm-up and other aerobic exercise.

For strength exercises, there are also a number of universal exercise machines, as well as fitballs, expanders, barbells and dumbbells.

Workout at home

If you train on your own, try to include outdoor running and cycling in your training program.
If there is a sports ground in your neighborhood, visit it. You will find ample opportunities for various exercises there. Warm up . Don't forget to start your workouts with warm-up and stretching. This will warm up the muscles, develop joints, and reduce the likelihood of injury.

Cardio training:

Run.
Jump rope.
Dancing.
Steppes.
Swimming.

Perform these exercises at least 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

Strength exercises:

Squats.
Squats with weights.
Deep lunges.
Push ups.
Exercises for legs and buttocks with a fitness band.
Exercises for the abs.
Exercises for arms with dumbbells and a fitness band.

Perform strength exercises at least 3 times a week, increasing the load from 30 to 40 minutes.

Exiting drying mode

Under no circumstances should you leave the diet abruptly, otherwise the weight may return even in large quantities. After completing the “feat”, adhere to the same dietary order, that is, a list of foods - what girls can eat while drying their bodies. Follow back your planned meal plan. Don’t stop playing sports, you can make them less frequent, but be sure to do them regularly.

What needs to be taken into account during drying?

The cutting diet is based on reducing carbohydrate intake.
Low glucose concentrations can cause dizziness and weakness. Inability to perform simple actions. A lack of carbohydrates can also negatively affect your mental state. Memory and concentration deteriorate. Intellectual activity decreases.

You should not dry out if you have:

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Liver and kidney diseases.
Disruption of the cardiovascular system.
You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
For diabetes of any type.
For diseases of the endocrine system.

How and when to replenish your water balance?

In everyday life, we drink water when we already feel thirsty. It should be understood that if you feel thirsty, then at the moment the body has already lost 2% of its weight along with liquid. Therefore, when sitting down to dry your body, you should drink water according to the recommended scheme at regular intervals. And it doesn’t matter whether you want to drink purified water at that moment or not.

Water in the body plays an irreplaceable role, both in activating fat burning processes and in restoring strength after physical activity. Lack of fluid in the body can lead to dehydration and, as a result, slow down normal metabolism. It is recommended to drink up to 500 ml of purified water two hours before training, then drink another 100 ml 10 minutes before the start. During exercise, drink at least 100 ml of water every 15-20 minutes. After finishing the training process, drink another 200 ml of water, so the body can fully restore fluid loss.

Some tips from experienced athletes

Take care of your face and body skin. Moisturize, make masks and wraps. Nourish your skin. Loss of subcutaneous fat makes the skin loose.
Get enough sleep. During the period of sleep, your body will prepare for daytime stress.
If you are drying for the first time, do it under the supervision of an experienced trainer.
Monitor your condition. If you feel dizzy, eat some sweets.
Do not exhaust yourself with unnecessary stress in the pursuit of an ideal body.

Expert advice

The diet for drying the body for men and what foods can be eaten during it are also selected individually. By following rules that are incorrect for you personally, you risk, at best, simply not achieving the desired results, and at worst, experiencing health problems. Before starting a diet, consult a personal trainer, or preferably a doctor.

Motivation is very important in the process of losing weight. View the achievements of girls after drying their bodies, their reviews and results, preferably with before and after photos. You can even print photos and make collages. Constantly finding slender bodies before your eyes will remind you of your goal!

And finally

Drying is a complex process that includes a special nutrition system and intense loads.
This process takes from 4 to 8 weeks. To successfully navigate this path, you need a positive attitude, willpower and support . Support from loved ones, coaches, like-minded people.

Of course, no one will walk your path for you. But when there are good travel companions, the road becomes easier.

Easy drying for you!

What products does the menu consist of?

To create a menu for a week or a month, you will need a certain set of foods that support fat burning. The diet must have enough protein and useful minerals with vitamins, so you cannot do without the following products:

The best proteins are considered to be egg whites, boiled chicken breast, low-fat cottage cheese and low-fat fish.
To supply the body with fats, use flaxseed or olive oil.
To normalize intestinal microflora and remove toxins, eat cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables mainly fresh.
Drink more water and green tea.

Be sure to exclude dry foods for girls such as sweets, flour products, fried foods, all kinds of sauces, canned food and alcoholic drinks. At first, it will be difficult for you to eat only healthy food every day, since it is not as tasty as junk food with fast carbohydrates: fast food, soda, instant breakfasts, various snacks, buns, etc. You must show willpower to radically change your diet for drying. This is especially difficult for beginners who are not even used to playing sports.

results

Many people who learn about drying are interested in how effective it is. It is impossible to answer unequivocally, because both processes have different goals. When losing weight, it is important for a person to reach a certain value on the scale. Once achieved, you need to save it. But if the weight loss was very rapid, the weight comes back in greater quantities.

When drying, it is important to reduce the percentage of fat in the body and give the body definition. But the results obtained are often not useful and natural. After competitions, athletes try to return to their normal state.

For an ordinary person, the best option would be to perform special exercises and follow the rules of a low-calorie diet. This way you will be able to lose weight without sacrificing muscle mass. In addition, this is the method that will help get rid of problem areas such as the stomach, barrels, and “golifa.”

What's the difference?

We have already figured out that the goals of the two concepts are different. As we said above, “drying” is a short period of time in which we try to limit ourselves in everything.

Nutrition.

This is the first thing on the list of a future athlete. We “clean” the diet as much as possible. Here you say no to sweet, salty, starchy, spicy, fried, etc. Products should be as pure, simple and unprocessed as possible. Also, we exclude even healthy foods: sweet and high-calorie fruits, some vegetables (tomatoes) and cereals, fatty meats, dairy products.

When losing weight, it will be enough to exclude only trans fats, reduce flour and sweets. And the result will already be visible.

8 hours of sleep is the best way to restore the body. An athlete simply needs it for productive training, good metabolism and muscle growth.

In losing weight, this aspect is also quite important, but it’s not critical if you don’t get enough sleep.

Workout.

On drying: everything is individual here, but basically no one does more than an hour of strength training. Also, if the fat layer is not lost well, then athletes finish off their workout with an hour of cardio after strength training. Some people train 2 times a day.

In losing weight, if you didn’t sit at home on the couch and didn’t open the refrigerator often, then you can already rejoice at the lost 300-400 grams. And, if all this is supported by training at home or in the gym, then in a month your body can be ready for the beach season.

And, in conclusion, I would like to say that in addition to nutrition, training and sleep, drying exposes you and your body to enormous stress. You are faced with increased fatigue, skin problems, constant hunger, mental disorders and migraines, insomnia, aggression and outbursts with loved ones.

Special products for girls and boys

As a rule, to lose weight during a regular diet, in addition to reducing portion sizes and caloric content of foods, various supplements are used. For this, diuretics, laxatives and energy substances are used. These include fruit and vegetable juices, caffeinated substances, green tea, and hot spices such as pepper, cinnamon or ginger. But in reality they are ineffective.

Not all are suitable for drying directly. It is important that the composition does not contain sugar, carbohydrates, etc. The best drink to drink is green tea, which perfectly tones and cleanses the body. Special sports nutrition is also often used, which saturates with proteins and contains virtually no carbohydrates.