| |
| |
|
Weight Loss Information |
|
|
|
Your Metabolism and Fat Loss
If you know someone that has been trying to lose weight and get into shape, you have probably heard words such as, "I just eat one meal a day to lose weight" or "I'm afraid if I eat, I'll gain weight" but sadly, this misnomer is why so many people are in the "battle of the bulge". People all over the world still believe that eating breakfast, or even three meals a day will cause them to gain weight. In truth, as long as they are eating the right types of foods and exercising, then three normal meals or six small meals a day will actually work better with their metabolism than eating the wrong quantities or not eating often enough. With more than half of Americans over the age of 20 now being considered "overweight", now more than ever, we need to understand how metabolism works in relation to losing weight. Why risk having a heart attack, a stroke, developing cancer, or diabetes when all you have to do is make a few minor changes and live a healthy life? First, a person's metabolic rate is determined by the number and size of respiring cells that compromise the body's tissue, and the intensity of the metabolism in these cells. These two factors combined are what makeup the physiological foundation of the amount of energy (calories) in which a body uses. Keep in mind that energy cannot be created or destroyed, just changed. As we know, potential energy comes from the foods we eat. When talking about weight loss, there are three components of balanced energy, which include calorie intake, calories stored, and calories expended. The way it works is that if the amount of calories taken in equals the amount of calories being expended (burned), then there is balance and the body's weight is stable. On the other hand, if the balance becomes positive, caused by more food being eaten than is burned, energy is destroyed or in better terms, stored as body fat. It is important to remember that you can be eating a diet considered low-fat and still gain weight. The reason is that most dietary fat is stored while the body is burning carbohydrates and proteins for energy. The problem is the when a person gains weight, the increased level of fat becomes stored energy until the calorie balance is negative. For that to happen, the amount of calories burned needs to exceed the number of calories being consumed, no matter what the macronutrient content. Metabolism is the rate at which the body uses energy to support the basic functions essential to sustain life. This metabolism is comprised of three parts, which include physical activity (20%), Thermic Effect of Food, also called TEF (10%), and Resting Metabolism Rate or REM (70%). Physical activity is the amount of energy your body burns up during normal, daily activities to include housework, recreation, work, exercise, and so on. Obviously, someone that is physically active will burn more energy than a sedentary person will. TEF accounts for the energy used in digesting and absorbing nutrients, which would vary depending on the meal's composition. When a person overeats, TEF is increased because more food must be digested. Here is where metabolism becomes very interesting and what causes so much confusion. One pound is equal to 3,500 calories, so let us say a person consumes 3,500 more calories than normal. That individual would not gain one pound because the TED is accounted for but if 3,500 calories were cut trying to lose weight, then TEF decreases since there would be fewer nutrients to process. The result is that with energy expenditure would decrease, meaning that the individual would lose less than one pound in weight. In other words, by cutting out too much food, TEF cannot work as it was designed to do. Now keep in mind that you cannot go around eating a bunch of junk food. After all, the calories you do consume need to be healthy foods but what this does mean is that when you do not eat, you are actually working against your body in fighting weight gain, not the other way around. Finally, the RMR refers to the number of calories the body needs to run its essential functions, as well as chemical reactions while in a rested state. This aspect of metabolism accounts for the greatest number of calories burned every day. What happens is that if lean weight should be lost because of increased protein metabolism, then RMR decreases. Typically, you would see this happen when a person goes on a very strict diet. In this situation, the body is forced into a negative nitrogen balance, which means a greater amount of protein is lost than what is replaced because of less protein/energy intake. When this imbalance occurs, there is a gradual loss of lean weight, which then lowers RMR. What happens many times is that dieters will limit the amount of lean weight loss with intense exercise for the muscles to develop a need to maintain more protein. When this happens, the body is forced to use more energy from stored fats. If you want to put your metabolism to work for you, some simple steps can be taken: * By adding a few extra pounds of lean muscle, the metabolic rate can be increased by up to 200% each day * Remember that lean weight can burn as much as 20 times more calories than fat weight * Regular exercise is one of the best ways to boost metabolism * By eating smaller meals and more often, you can boost your metabolism rate While you need to eat healthy foods, studies prove that what matters most is how much of a person's body weight is attributed to fat. Remember, excess fat is what links to major health problems. Therefore, it is important that you maintain a healthy weight but more crucial that you monitor the fat-to-muscle ratio. For example, a woman standing 5'5" might weigh only 125 pounds but have a 27% body fat ratio, which is not good. This individual worked hard to diet, while staying involved with aerobics. However, much of what she lost was not fat, but muscle. Even though this weight would be considered ideal for her height, her body fat to muscle ratio is too high. An excellent way to optimize your fat-to-muscle ratio is by getting involved with weight training in addition to the nutrition and cardio. As you will see with the tools provided at www.comptracker.com, you can analyze the thickness of the subcutaneous fat at various areas of the body. The benefit is that you know exactly what your ratios are so you can achieve a healthy fat-to-muscle ratio as well as body weight. Remember, you are in control and need to make the decision to do something good for yourself. Therefore, now is the time to take that control and fight to live a lean and healthy lifestyle. Fitness Consultant Anthony Ellis has helped thousands of individuals lose fat and build more muscle. To read more about his fat loss recommendations please check out his site at http://www.fatlosstips.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Weight-Loss - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Rating The Diets: A Mindless Exercise? There has been a recent surge in the experts weighing in (pun intended) on popular and celebrity diets to rate them in terms of effectiveness, nutritional adequacy, and balance. Look at the latest crop of magazines, Internet news reports, and television specials. Weight Loss Fads that Dont Work No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping the weight off. The Fastest Way To Your After Photo You've seen them a hundred times: "Before" and "After" pictures. Are you ready to be the one in the photos? Don't wait until you lose more weight. 3 Steps Gastric Bypass Patients Can Take to Avoid Calcium Deficiency Most Americans do not get enough calcium in their diets; the average daily intake is 500 milligrams shy of the RDI (Recommended Daily Intake) of 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams.Gastric bypass patients are even more unlikely to intake adequate dietary calcium and without supplementation they may become calcium deficient which ultimately results in osteoporosis. Diets - Why Drastic Does Not Work How was it for you? Did you get through the Christmas Season eating sensibly, taking exercise and avoiding the usual seasonal excesses? Or, are you sitting at your desk reading this and wondering why all of your waistbands are tight?In the Northern Hemisphere, Winter and Christmas time are traditional periods of social excess and comfort eating. The short days curtail the amount of exercise we would naturally take and the pounds have a horrible habit of piling on. Weight Control: One Day At A Time Most of us are aware of the AA axiom of "One day at a time." It speaks to the secret of any long term goal - concentrate on taking the right step and the journey will take care of itself. Fast Weight Loss and Exercise - Pay Now or Pay Them Later! Why have I allowed myself to get into this shape? Have you ever said that? With life comes responsibility and with decisions comes consequences. It's your choice today to do something positive. Weight Loss Doesnt Work Your brain has this really interesting system that is kind of like a search engine on the internet. It is called your RAS for short. 3 Simple Weight Loss Tips from the Pros Tip 1) DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACKThis will help you get in your 8 to 10 glasses of water each day but it can also have other benefits. Ever feel hungry after eating a handful or standard serving of nuts? Try drinking water afterwards. The Psychology of Weight Loss - Getting to the Roots of the Matter! The Psychology of Weight Loss - Your Approach!We have missed the boat and your boat is sinking fast. You have weighted your ship down with stats, calories, grams and pounds. Green Tea And Weight Loss There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news concerning green tea.Green tea's weight loss effects have been causing more and more people to start sipping the ancient Japanese brew. Motivation and Dieting - Whats the Missing Link? If you are like everyone else who has hit rock bottom with their weight struggles, and have declared that this day will be the first day of your diet, then this article is for you.Too often it seems that most dieters jump on the weight loss boat, yet fail to bring along a months pass. Weight Loss With Ionamin: Gentle Plan, Mighty Results You know you have will-power. You can change a diaper while on the phone with an important client and then fix a fabulous, healthy meal for your family and your unexpected visitors while arranging your tax receipts. Advice for the Ill = Advice for the Well All of the things we tell sick people so that they recover more quickly are exactly the things that we should be doing every day. Following that advice will not only ward off disease, but also lead to greater energy and vitality, and best of all, weight loss. The Great 8 Eating Tips for Fast Weight Loss @ Body Perfect Fitness Low Carb, Low Fat, More protein, Eat all the fat you want.. Dieting While Partying! It's really difficult for a person to socialise if he is on a Diet. Totally ignoring parties and invitation is definitely not a solution. Making the Food Pyramid Work After Weight Loss Surgery A "normal-tummy" looks at the food pyramid from the bottom up - six to eleven servings of grains, then fruits and vegetables - then the protein groups: meat and beans and the milk group. The fats, oils and sweets are incidental. Mamma Said: Keep Your Fingers Out Of Your Mouth Watching television exercises our eyes but nothing else. Unfortunately, it doesn't require us to do anything with our hands which leaves them free to grab something to eat. NotOneOunce -- Junk at the Office After the post-Halloween sugar surge, everyone coaches you to get the candy out of your house. This is terrific, but many people solve the problem by taking it straight to the office. Weighing in on Weight Loss Dieters have long searched for secret paths to easy weight loss. Soon enough, anyone trying to lose weight will discover a mind-boggling variety of weight loss plans, even some that appear to contradict others.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
