Is Your Weight Loss (Or Lack of) Frustrating You?

You are coming off an exciting weekend; you’re fired up because you have been working hard on your fitness and are seeing some great results.

Did you know that our bodies are working constantly, on a 24 hour basis, to repair and grow our cells? Our bodies are so unique in their ability to fix issues which we often do not even sense what is going on. This is one of many reasons why it is important to make healthy choices when it comes to nutrition. Our bodies are programmed to deliver nutrients to sustain life and these nutrients are used by vital organs such as heart, brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys.

Have you ever noticed that people who eat 1 or 2 times a day tend not to lose weight very successfully? Here is one reason why: Energy needs for your body’s basic functions stay fairly consistent and are not easily changed. Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to properly function. Even when you’re at rest, your body needs energy for all its functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing/repairing cells.

Your basal metabolic rate accounts for about 70 percent of the calories you burn every day. In addition to your basal metabolic rate there is another factor that determines how many calories your body burns each day. Food processing, or thermogenesis, is the digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing of the food you consume. For the most part, your body’s energy requirement to process food stays relatively steady. This process is minimal in people who eat 1 to 2 meals a day.

Now, think about your desire to continue to lose weight. The key to your weight loss is finding the proper balance of your food intake and the energy that you expend during your fitness routine. Did you know that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn? There is a BIG MISCONCEPTION that muscle weighs more than fat. The reality is a pound is a pound regardless if its muscle or fat. The difference is muscle tissue is more dense than fat so 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat. Your muscles need energy in order to contract and that is why you must consume the proper nutrients on a daily basis.

Your metabolism and muscle mass go together. You want to be at a caloric deficit not because you are starving yourself, but because you are burning up calories in your workout. After you burn up these calories you do not want to over consume nutrients because you are hungry. You must eat a well-balanced, nutrient-dense meal after your workout. You do not want think that because you worked out, it gives you the ok signal to stuff yourself with more calories than you just burned off.

So, as you continue to lose those pounds and inches this week, remember that there is a major process going on inside your body. You must give yourself the proper fuel spaced out over 6-7 small meals to keep your body doing what it needs to do in order to sustain life. You will continue to lose weight and inches as long as you remain consistent with your nutrients and exercise.

Reference: Git Right Sports Performance and Fitness (gitrightspf.com)

Andrew Vertson

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