Weight loss solutions have been perhaps one of the biggest, if not the biggest, focus of any pharmaceutical company out there and primarily because of the huge demand for weight loss products which can run the gamut from diet pills, weight loss drinks, herbal teas, and pretty much anything and everything in between. The amount of products available for the consumer is unbelievably astronomical and yet people still jump on any new fad, online weight loss programs, exercise dvd's, pills, and exercise equipment with the sole hope of shedding those unwanted pounds.
Let's be honest with ourselves, who doesn't want to look good wearing clothes several sizes or inches smaller than what they normally wear. I can tell you pretty much everything that is health related in losing weight but what concerns most of us the most is how we look and how we feel after losing all that flab. The truth of the matter, however, is that there is a vast majority of you out there who do not really understand how your body utilize and store fat. Furthermore, fat is essential in the metabolic processes that run our bodies. To even add further to that simple truth is that adipose cells or adipocytes have key physiologic roles that our bodies can't do without.
So when you see a bodybuilder claiming to have only 1% or 2% body fat you have to think if that is even healthy. And by the way, measuring body fat with calipers is not the most accurate way to measure fat. The adipose under your skin is not the only place your body stores fat. Fat can be stored in the omentum, the liver, the renal fat pads, and even in your long bones, among others. So what do we really need to know about fat loss? So before you engage in any quick weight loss tips or rapid weight loss diets some groundwork needs to be covered first.
Firstly, our body breaks down food into three basic building blocks or macronutrients; complex carbohydrates, fats in the form of lipids and triglycerides, and proteins. These macronutrients will be broken down even further into metabolites which our bodies will utilize to replenish our cells, to power our daily activities, to maintain our physiologic processes. The rule of thumb is whatever your body does not burn or use up gets stored. Stored energy is packaged in the form of fat handled by your adipose cells. So from this key knowledge we can deduce the first fat loss factor tip. Since most of what we eat comes from food groups high in complex carbohydrates, sugars, and fats, simply altering the ratio or percentage of food we consume from those food groups greatly affects the way our body's ability to utilize food nutrients.
Secondly, how we eat and how much of what we eat should depend on the amount of work or activity that we do. Unfortunately, that is not the case since a great percentage of us are obese. In other words, we consume more than what is necessary. So the second key knowledge we have to realize in our quest for weight loss is how we understand what appetite and satiety really means. In essence, these two are medical terms which essentially cover how our body responds to hunger and how it responds to having been satiated. So here is the second fat loss factor tip; we can control our appetite by eating frequently but in small increments. It is when we do not eat for long periods that we tend to eat more than what we really need. Satiety can be had by eating more of foods that are essentially low calorie and drinking more fluids. You see, stretch receptors found in the stomach tell our bodies that it already has it's fill hence we feel full. The fuller you feel the lesser you eat.
The third topic we need to cover deals with activity in the form of work or exercise and inactivity. What I am essentially getting at is metabolism. Metabolism, as many of you may not know, is controlled by many factors such as hormones ( or imbalance of hormones), diseases ( whether acquired or congenital in nature), and age ( as we get older our metabolism goes down). For or purposes, however, let us assume that metabolism is governed by the amount or lack of activity that we do. So here is the third fat loss factor tip; always be in constant motion. Always keep moving. You don't have to run or spend 2 hours in the gym everyday. You can do little things like take the stairs instead of the elevator, do more house chores, clean out that yard , etc. The fact that you are always about prevents your metabolism from slowing down and resetting itself. Remember this key knowledge, it is your metabolism which makes you fat!! It dictates when your body will start storing fat instead of utilizing it. Remember also that protein and carbohydrates that are unused are still stored as fat.
Lastly, there are other key points we need covering but will have to reserve them for future posts. Issues like mindset, emotional control, and others need to be covered in greater detail not just in passing. So until next time, do come back. JowelMD signing off but not signing out.
