|
We have been programmed over decades that if we become overweight we are simply eating too much food and to lose excess body fat all we simply need to do is eat less and we will reverse the situation. We now know that this is not caused by eating too much food and becoming overweight and over-fat can be caused by a reduction of lean muscle tissue. This situation is caused by an inactive or sedentary lifestyle. Most of our modern lifestyles give us little opportunity for activity and sitting is about as active as we get on a daily basis. You see the amount of muscle mass you have on your body governs the speed of your metabolic engine and this determines the rate at which you burn fuel (calories). By allowing this reduction in muscle to happen usually silently over the years your ability to utilize your food intake slows down and the excess is piled on to the body in unsightly rolls of fat. Most people's solution to this is to immediately contemplate going on a restricted food plan which is called a diet. This will only make the situation worse, as by dropping the amount of calories you eat will force your body to take energy from itself. It is smart enough not to take it from the fat stores first and will strip energy from carbohydrates and protein that is stored in the muscles. Although the scales will say you have lost weight this is mainly water as it can no longer be stored in the muscles due to the loss of the carbohydrates and protein. A very small percentage of this loss is body fat. What happens next is not a good thing, the body trying to conserve energy as it is losing its muscle mass decreases the metabolic rate. It shifts into fat storing mode anticipating a famine and increasing survival chances. It doesn't know there is plenty of food in the fridge in the next room. To properly reverse the overweight situation you need to make some lifestyle changes, going off and on diets all your life is going to do your head in along with permanently damaging your metabolism. This will cause you to end up with a smaller engine which means you will have to eat like a little bird for the rest of your life. Rather than trying to thread your eating through the eye of a needle, consider becoming a very active person learning to love moving your body. Start off slowly with a strength training program to reverse the muscle mass loss and repair the metabolic engine so your body can start chewing into those stored fat stores. A proper exercise program containing at least 60% strength training will in time shape you into a slimmer, stronger, leaner and healthier person. You will only need 2 -3 sessions of around 45 minutes each per week to give you these results. It is extremely important that this program is set up by a fitness professional. Don't listen to people who suddenly think they are exercise experts, that sort of information is everywhere especially the internet. Some tell you to just go for a walk. Really? We all have legs and we all walk yet we have a massive epidemic of overweight and obesity so it clearly isn't working is it? Forget also about recreational activities like jogging, swimming or rowing etc stick to using the tools that work and that is strength training exercise. Your program should contain full body big exercises working multiple muscle groups together. You need to learn to perform them properly and be working at the right level of intensity otherwise the program will not work. Success with losing body fat is simple, choose more not less. Eat more whole food small meals and move more with your proper exercise program. Let your metabolism take care of the unwanted body fat allowing you become all you want to be.
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "Ive Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!" here: Ways To Look Younger For Free Fitness Report here Fitness Weight Loss Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.
|
