You Want to Lose Weight But You Are Gaining It
Most so called "weight loss diets" are structured on one principle...
cut the amount of calories taken in.
Most of us burn calories (fuel) at a given rate based on our age, physical makeup, activity, and heredity.
The rate at which we burn these calories is called the "metabolic rate".
Our own metabolic rate is unique, and is simply the measure of how fast we burn, or metabolize, calories in our body's engine - our metabolism.
After our mid 20's and as we grow older, the metabolic rate slows down and eating the same number of calories as we did last year causes us to gain weight.
As we get older, we also become less active, and our body gradually changes its metabolic rate based on our activity levels as well.
When you cut calories drastically (below 1800 per day), as in most diets, your body responds by lowering your metabolic rate.
It switches over to 'survival mode' an ancient mechanism to conserve energy and keep you alive.
So, the end effect is it now takes fewer calories to maintain your weight.
In fact, while eating less, you might even find yourself gaining weight.
If calories are cut too drastically, the body may actually begin eating own tissue and it goes after muscle tissue so it can hold on to as much fat as possible.
It only knows it is starving and doesn't know there is a fridge full of food in the next room.
The problem is that muscle tissue burns calories more effectively than other body components and its loss will severely hamper any weight loss efforts.
When you lose muscle tissue, you burn fewer calories and your energy levels drop so you simply cannot be as active as you need to be to burn up lots of stored body fat.
This is all working against your body not with it and you can never win as your body will not let itself starve.
To turn this around two simple strategies are needed.
Your food for starters needs to increase to 5-7 small meals each day spaced 2-3 hours apart.
These meals must contain 20-30 grams of protein (meat, fish, eggs, soy) and the balance made up of vegetables.
You need to get your head around the fact that you have to eat to lose body fat.
These meals will stimulate your metabolism (the rate your body burns fuel) and is the only way you will be able to lose excess body fat permanently.
Eating this amount of food will also give you enough energy to support a proper exercise program so you can put some 'effort' into it.
Your exercise program will rebuild and tone up unused muscle tissue caused by not enough strength maintaining exercise.
This will have lowered the fuel consumption of your body's engine - your metabolism allowing you to become overweight.
Your exercise program needs to contain two components - at least 60% strength training exercise preferably set up and delivered to you by a fitness professional.
If you try to wing it alone it is unlikely that you will get the results you expect.
Not only does the program need to be designed properly but updated and monitored regularly.
You will need to learn correct exercise technique, intensity, duration and frequency to get the very best results.
The second component of your exercise program should be interval training the modern equivalent of the long, slow, boring, old fashioned cardio type activity from the 1980's.
This involves short burst of intense activity alternated by slower activity for recovery.
An example would be 10 seconds of sprinting followed by 30 seconds to one minute of walking repeated 10-12 times depending on your current fitness level.
There you have it, the recipe to work with your body that will give you the weight loss you want and need as opposed to fighting a battle with your body that you cannot win.
You will be amazed at how effectively this will work and you only have to put it into practice.
It will not be instant, nothing ever is, but it will work and you will get better and better at bringing all of the components together further accelerating your results.
cut the amount of calories taken in.
Most of us burn calories (fuel) at a given rate based on our age, physical makeup, activity, and heredity.
The rate at which we burn these calories is called the "metabolic rate".
Our own metabolic rate is unique, and is simply the measure of how fast we burn, or metabolize, calories in our body's engine - our metabolism.
After our mid 20's and as we grow older, the metabolic rate slows down and eating the same number of calories as we did last year causes us to gain weight.
As we get older, we also become less active, and our body gradually changes its metabolic rate based on our activity levels as well.
When you cut calories drastically (below 1800 per day), as in most diets, your body responds by lowering your metabolic rate.
It switches over to 'survival mode' an ancient mechanism to conserve energy and keep you alive.
So, the end effect is it now takes fewer calories to maintain your weight.
In fact, while eating less, you might even find yourself gaining weight.
If calories are cut too drastically, the body may actually begin eating own tissue and it goes after muscle tissue so it can hold on to as much fat as possible.
It only knows it is starving and doesn't know there is a fridge full of food in the next room.
The problem is that muscle tissue burns calories more effectively than other body components and its loss will severely hamper any weight loss efforts.
When you lose muscle tissue, you burn fewer calories and your energy levels drop so you simply cannot be as active as you need to be to burn up lots of stored body fat.
This is all working against your body not with it and you can never win as your body will not let itself starve.
To turn this around two simple strategies are needed.
Your food for starters needs to increase to 5-7 small meals each day spaced 2-3 hours apart.
These meals must contain 20-30 grams of protein (meat, fish, eggs, soy) and the balance made up of vegetables.
You need to get your head around the fact that you have to eat to lose body fat.
These meals will stimulate your metabolism (the rate your body burns fuel) and is the only way you will be able to lose excess body fat permanently.
Eating this amount of food will also give you enough energy to support a proper exercise program so you can put some 'effort' into it.
Your exercise program will rebuild and tone up unused muscle tissue caused by not enough strength maintaining exercise.
This will have lowered the fuel consumption of your body's engine - your metabolism allowing you to become overweight.
Your exercise program needs to contain two components - at least 60% strength training exercise preferably set up and delivered to you by a fitness professional.
If you try to wing it alone it is unlikely that you will get the results you expect.
Not only does the program need to be designed properly but updated and monitored regularly.
You will need to learn correct exercise technique, intensity, duration and frequency to get the very best results.
The second component of your exercise program should be interval training the modern equivalent of the long, slow, boring, old fashioned cardio type activity from the 1980's.
This involves short burst of intense activity alternated by slower activity for recovery.
An example would be 10 seconds of sprinting followed by 30 seconds to one minute of walking repeated 10-12 times depending on your current fitness level.
There you have it, the recipe to work with your body that will give you the weight loss you want and need as opposed to fighting a battle with your body that you cannot win.
You will be amazed at how effectively this will work and you only have to put it into practice.
It will not be instant, nothing ever is, but it will work and you will get better and better at bringing all of the components together further accelerating your results.
Source...