It's no secret that today we live in a society that thrives on
instant gratification. While it's nice to get what you want when you
want it at times, there are situations where this thought process can be
detrimental. Your fitness and weight-loss goals fall into this
category.
All a person has to do is browse the internet and they're bombarded with false promises that lead them into believing that they can lose 20 pounds in a week. Can this be done? Certainly...with a high likelihood of putting 40 back on. More importantly, 20 pounds of what? Most likely, the exact weight that shouldn't be lost...muscle tissue. There simply is no quick fix to proper weight-loss.
Before I get technical, let me get to the heart of things. I struggled with my weight for a period of time for various reasons. I tried some of those "diets" and threw myself into fitness programs that were way beyond my abilities at the time. In the end, I always ended up putting back whatever weight I lost and then some. My self-esteem took several hits and my metabolism did as well. I hated having to eat and I LOATHED exercise.
It was too hard! Little did I know...there really was a way to get what I wanted. As soon as I learned to allow my current regimen to become a lifestyle and ditch the idea of being in a hurry, my body morphed into a shape I didn't know was possible. It took time, persistence and some emotional intelligence, but considering the outcome, I wouldn't have done this any other way!
Fat-loss and the building up of lean muscle tissue take time. There are physiological changes that must occur within the cells, heart, lungs, muscles, use of stored fat as energy and the neuromuscular system to produce the desired results. It takes several weeks of consistent cardiovascular activity for the heart to increase it's stroke volume (the amount of blood released with each heartbeat). With increased stroke volume, more blood, and therefore more oxygen is distributed throughout the body.
As this happens, the body creates even more vessels to allow for oxygen distribution and as a result, your heart and lungs begin to maximize their efficiency and strength.
Building muscle works in a similar way. Within the first couple of weeks of strength training, the bones and muscles go through an initial weakening phase. This must occur to allow additional formation of tissue to follow and is why it's so imperative to be realistic with the intensity of the fitness program when just beginning!
As this new routine intensifies, your bones and muscles respond to the new requirements necessary to get your work-out accomplished. Your neuromuscular system (your brain and how its messages are delivered to the rest of the body) realizes that there are more muscle fibers and bone mass needed to lift the heavier weights and move oxygen more efficiently and NONE of this happens immediately! These are biological changes taking place here and building this solid foundation for safe and long lasting change TAKES TIME!
Why is more muscle a good thing? Because as each new pound of muscle is created, you burn about an extra 50 calories per day whether you get out of bed or not. Pack on ten pounds of muscle and that's about 500 calories per day. Multiply this by seven days a week and that is one pound of FAT-loss per week regardless of any extra activity!
So now you may be wondering how to speed up muscle development. Well, YOU CAN'T and make no mistake...eating a ton of extra protein won't do it either! Within our bodies is something called an "amino acid pool" which means there is a certain amount of protein we need for the maintenance of our tissue and internal organ health. For the general population, this would come out to about.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight with room for a little more if you are athletic. An excess of protein could lead to something called a "positive nitrogen balance" which may contribute to a decrease in calcium levels and hindered kidney function.
Skipping meals and overdoing aerobic activity results in the body needing to rely on the muscle you've built for energy, therefore resulting in muscle-loss. As mentioned above, muscle is a metabolically more active tissue than fat is and requires more energy to maintain its form. In English, building lean muscle tissue and allowing proper time to use stored fat as energy is how you want to go about FAT-loss. Starving, avoiding carbs and over consumption of protein and anything else that promises quick changes in body composition will not only prohibit proper weight-loss, but these behaviors will never teach anyone how to live.
So, the final question may be...how much time? It depends. I compare it to a home renovation. If there is no structural damage, the renovation takes less time, but still won't occur overnight. If, however, there was water or termite damage in the foundation of the home, would you simply drywall over it? Of course not. You'd have to fix the underlying cause and build a safe and strong structure to allow your home to last without constantly fearing about what can bring your house down with it being weak and damaged under the surface. Your body is similar. If you are in good health already and practice good habits, you will get your results quicker. If not, you would need to rebuild from the damage done to your system and go from there...but again, we're talking about a strong and sound structure. Do you want to spend the rest of your life worrying about every morsel of food you eat? I seriously doubt it.
We're here to enjoy our lives. To feel free, strong and confident in our bodies and our minds. This is how we change our world. We feel proud, we feel peace and we share it with others. Do this the right way. There's no rush. Take your time, sharpen your habits, shape and strengthen yourself the right way and I promise you, your body WILL respond.
All a person has to do is browse the internet and they're bombarded with false promises that lead them into believing that they can lose 20 pounds in a week. Can this be done? Certainly...with a high likelihood of putting 40 back on. More importantly, 20 pounds of what? Most likely, the exact weight that shouldn't be lost...muscle tissue. There simply is no quick fix to proper weight-loss.
Before I get technical, let me get to the heart of things. I struggled with my weight for a period of time for various reasons. I tried some of those "diets" and threw myself into fitness programs that were way beyond my abilities at the time. In the end, I always ended up putting back whatever weight I lost and then some. My self-esteem took several hits and my metabolism did as well. I hated having to eat and I LOATHED exercise.
It was too hard! Little did I know...there really was a way to get what I wanted. As soon as I learned to allow my current regimen to become a lifestyle and ditch the idea of being in a hurry, my body morphed into a shape I didn't know was possible. It took time, persistence and some emotional intelligence, but considering the outcome, I wouldn't have done this any other way!
Fat-loss and the building up of lean muscle tissue take time. There are physiological changes that must occur within the cells, heart, lungs, muscles, use of stored fat as energy and the neuromuscular system to produce the desired results. It takes several weeks of consistent cardiovascular activity for the heart to increase it's stroke volume (the amount of blood released with each heartbeat). With increased stroke volume, more blood, and therefore more oxygen is distributed throughout the body.
As this happens, the body creates even more vessels to allow for oxygen distribution and as a result, your heart and lungs begin to maximize their efficiency and strength.
Building muscle works in a similar way. Within the first couple of weeks of strength training, the bones and muscles go through an initial weakening phase. This must occur to allow additional formation of tissue to follow and is why it's so imperative to be realistic with the intensity of the fitness program when just beginning!
As this new routine intensifies, your bones and muscles respond to the new requirements necessary to get your work-out accomplished. Your neuromuscular system (your brain and how its messages are delivered to the rest of the body) realizes that there are more muscle fibers and bone mass needed to lift the heavier weights and move oxygen more efficiently and NONE of this happens immediately! These are biological changes taking place here and building this solid foundation for safe and long lasting change TAKES TIME!
Why is more muscle a good thing? Because as each new pound of muscle is created, you burn about an extra 50 calories per day whether you get out of bed or not. Pack on ten pounds of muscle and that's about 500 calories per day. Multiply this by seven days a week and that is one pound of FAT-loss per week regardless of any extra activity!
So now you may be wondering how to speed up muscle development. Well, YOU CAN'T and make no mistake...eating a ton of extra protein won't do it either! Within our bodies is something called an "amino acid pool" which means there is a certain amount of protein we need for the maintenance of our tissue and internal organ health. For the general population, this would come out to about.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight with room for a little more if you are athletic. An excess of protein could lead to something called a "positive nitrogen balance" which may contribute to a decrease in calcium levels and hindered kidney function.
Skipping meals and overdoing aerobic activity results in the body needing to rely on the muscle you've built for energy, therefore resulting in muscle-loss. As mentioned above, muscle is a metabolically more active tissue than fat is and requires more energy to maintain its form. In English, building lean muscle tissue and allowing proper time to use stored fat as energy is how you want to go about FAT-loss. Starving, avoiding carbs and over consumption of protein and anything else that promises quick changes in body composition will not only prohibit proper weight-loss, but these behaviors will never teach anyone how to live.
So, the final question may be...how much time? It depends. I compare it to a home renovation. If there is no structural damage, the renovation takes less time, but still won't occur overnight. If, however, there was water or termite damage in the foundation of the home, would you simply drywall over it? Of course not. You'd have to fix the underlying cause and build a safe and strong structure to allow your home to last without constantly fearing about what can bring your house down with it being weak and damaged under the surface. Your body is similar. If you are in good health already and practice good habits, you will get your results quicker. If not, you would need to rebuild from the damage done to your system and go from there...but again, we're talking about a strong and sound structure. Do you want to spend the rest of your life worrying about every morsel of food you eat? I seriously doubt it.
We're here to enjoy our lives. To feel free, strong and confident in our bodies and our minds. This is how we change our world. We feel proud, we feel peace and we share it with others. Do this the right way. There's no rush. Take your time, sharpen your habits, shape and strengthen yourself the right way and I promise you, your body WILL respond.
Dana Gore is a Certified Personal Training Specialist, CPTS, with
years of experience in the fitness industry. Her expertise are based on
solid education in physical fitness and her experiences in her own
battles with weight-loss and perseverance.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dana_Gore/814416
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