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So you have finally decided to shed those extra pounds and uncover those long buried abs?

Here's what will happen:

You'll go on a diet, start working out and everything will be great. For the first two weeks, the pounds will drop off and progress will be quick and painless.

But then things will grind to a halt. Your metabolism will slow down to a snails pace. The scale will get stuck.

You will re-double your efforts. Cut calories. Add more cardio. And it seems to work. The scale is headed south once again.

But one day you look in the mirror and you'll notice that your muscle is (gasp) gone! The fat is still there, but the muscle is disappearing.

So you immediately start eating more, hoping to save your hard-earned muscle. But because you have lost muscle, your metabolism has dropped. And all those extra calories end up as fat.

Your best intentions back fired. You tried to lose some fat, and instead you ended up even fatter with less muscle.

Ain't life cruel?

But don't worry. Because today I'm going to show you how to strip off fat WITHOUT sacrificing your hard-earned muscle. (In fact, if you follow these rules you should actually get STRONGER even while you lose weight.)

Without further ado, here are my five rules for stripping off body fat while preserving muscle.

Rule #1: Don't Drop Carbs To Zero.

People often make the mistake of avoiding all carbohydrates. This can result in some quick weight loss (mostly water weight) but a lack of carbohydrates can also slow your metabolism.

So don't eliminate carbohydrates completely. Instead,

Rule #2: Focus On "Nature-Made" Carbs.

When trying to burn off body fat, steer clear of "man-made" carbs like cakes, cookies and white bread products.

Instead, focus on "nature-made" carbs like fruits, vegetables, potatoes and whole grain products.

These items naturally contain more fiber which will help you feel full. Fiber also helps to lessen the insulin spike and fat storing effects that occur when consuming "man-made" carbohydrates.

Rule #3: Keep Protein High.

Protein is "muscle-sparing" which means that your body will use any available protein for cellular repairs before breaking down muscle tissue.

I've found that by consuming 1.0-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, you can actually build new strength while stripping off body fat.

Rule #4: Don't Avoid Dietary Fat!

It sounds weird, but you want to burn fat you have got to eat (some) fat.

I recommend you try and focus on healthy fats like fish oil, extra virgin olive oil or fats found naturally in nuts like almonds.

Rule #5: Use Weight Training To Build Muscle and Strength, NOT To Burn Fat.

One of the biggest myths about burning fat is that you should lift light weights with high reps. But this is all wrong.

If you take the opposite approach and continue to lift heavy and try to get stronger with every single workout, it sends a clear message to your body that your muscles are still "in use" and should not be sacrificed.

Follow these five simple rules and you can burn off your excess body fat without sacrificing your hard-earned muscle.

Matt Marshall is not a personal trainer or a professional bodybuilder. He's just a former skinny guy who figured out how average guys (with average genetics) can build muscle and develop outstanding physiques.

To learn more about a proven fat loss plan for guys with average genetics, visit http://www.RapidFireFatLoss.com