You might think building muscle and losing weight can’t be done simultaneously, but you’re wrong! Research published in Science Daily has found that it’s totally possible – you just need to be doing the right things with your diet and exercise routine. Here are some important tips and tricks.

Tip 1: Boost Your Meals With Protein

You know you need to add protein to your diet, but every single meal should include a protein component. This essential nutrient is known as a building block of the body because it builds your muscles, but it also helps you shed unwanted fat. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who followed a high-protein, low-calorie diet for a month lost 10 pounds of fat while gaining two pounds of lean muscle. On the other hand, participants who consumed less protein only lost seven pounds of fat and gained a quarter pound of muscle. Great protein sources include milk, cheese, seafood, beans and soy.

Tip 2:”Cycle” Your Diet

“Calorie cycling” is when you eat more calories on days that you work out on and fewer calories on your rest days. Doing this helps to give your body the energy it needs when you need to build muscle while not giving it too much on days when that energy is going to waste because you’re not hitting the gym. “Calorie cycling” prevents energy from getting stored as fat, which will help you lose weight.

Tip 3: Take The Right Supplements

Supplements you take to build muscle should also be improving your health, and can even help you slim down. An example is fenugreek extract that boosts your performance so you can remain energized during your muscle-building workouts. According to research published in the Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, when participants were given 500 mg of fenugreek extract every day for two months, their exercise performance was increased but they also lost weight.

Tip 4: Avoid Too Much Cardio

You might think you should be adding more cardio to your exercise routine to eliminate body fat, but too much of it can have the opposite effect by destroying the very muscle you’re working so hard to build. How much cardio is enough to help you lose fat and not muscle? Aim for between 20 and 30 minutes of cardio every week to keep your metabolism strong so you can eliminate fat. Cardio also has other benefits, such as boosting circulation and exercising your heart, so it shouldn’t be completely wiped out from your exercise plan.

Having a leaner, more muscular physique doesn’t have to feel impossible to achieve. With a few tweaks to your current exercise and eating regimen, you can have a slimmer but more toned body within weeks.