Understanding Body Fat

People who exercise at least four days a week tend to have their weight more evenly distributed throughout their bodies, making them less susceptible to heart conditions and diseases. Men and women for a variety of reasons when they gain weight, they store it in different places due to the difference in hormones and metabolism.

A typical overweight man looks like an apple. A male's body fat is primarily located above the waist, better known as abdominal obesity. A women's excess body fat usually lies below her waist around the hips and the buttocks, giving her a pear like body shape. When a person reaches a weight that would classify them an obese then a reverse body fat pattern occurs. A male's excess body fat will begin to start storing below the waist and a female's body would start residing above the waist in the abdominal area. This is the difference of being overweight and obese.

Metabolism

Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical and physiological changes that take place within the body. This includes the transformation of food into energy, the growth and repair of muscle and bone tissue, and the creation of enzymes and hormones. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for about seventy percent of daily energy expenditures. The amount of energy required to digest and utilize food makes up to 5 to 10 percent of daily energy output, and the energy expended in physical activity uses an additional 20 to 30 percent.

I'll explain some important essentials about metabolism and describe them in detail. Fat storage began as a survival mechanism for the human body. Far are the days of hunting like our human ancestors, and food is abundant in most countries. Our early human ancestors were hunter-gatherers, there bodies had to adapt to their environments and since food was scarce, the human body evolved and started storing fat due to the infrequency of their meals. People who starve themselves or deprive themselves of meals are doing the contradicting action in trying to lose that unwanted body fat . Eating a low caloric diet has a negative long term effect of your body, and increases the likelihood of excess body fat . Your body adapts in taking little calories and the fat storage begins. This causes your metabolism to slow down and causes you to reach a plateau in which you can't lose any weight and start holding onto body fat . That being said, you have to eat a certain amount of calories per day to lose body fat and preserve your hard earned lean muscle mass. Depriving yourselves of calories you run the risk of your body sacrificing your muscles into a source of energy.

Eating the right foods can significantly increase your metabolism rate. Your diet must consist of a healthy low-glycemic nutrient dense calories to improve your bodies current BMR.

Don't Avoid All Fats

The fear of gaining fat may have many people avoiding fats completely. This is common misconceptions that have many people avoiding foods with fat. Fat is an energy source and your body needs a certain amount to function proficiently. A deficiency of essential fatty acids can cause dry and scaly skin, dermatitis, and hair loss. Make sure to eat foods that contain mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats, not saturated fats. Cut back on saturated fats, this is a real weight gainer. You find that once you start healthy fats instead of saturated fats you begin to lose weight.

Managing your body's ability to manage insulin is the key to your success in losing that body fat and increasing your metabolism. The contributing factors that effect your abilities in managing insulin are, the glycemic index of the foods you eat, your fat to lean muscle ratio, the amount and type of physical activity and the efficiency of your metabolism.

Insulin is the hormone involved in storing energy from the foods that we eat. When there is a surplus of carbs and fats, the body secretes insulin. Insulin causes excess carbohydrates to be stored as glycogen in the liver, muscles, and circulatory system until they are needed between meals when glucose levels drop. All the excess carbohydrates that can't be stored as glycogen which are then converted into fat and fatty tissues. You become more insulin resistant when you become overweight. If you don't exercise you lose much ability in managing your insulin levels.

Your metabolic efficiency rate has a relation with the amount of physical activity you take on a daily basis. If you don't workout or engage in physical activity, you will gain weight over time, some more than others. It's only a matter of time before your metabolism slows down due to your inactive status in physical activities. You must be consistent with your meals everyday. The more consistent the more fat you'll burn in the long run.

Now that you have a better understanding of body fat make sure you start your fitness program by first measuring your body fat percentage. A body fat caliper is a good investment for yourself, spending a few bucks on a quality body fat caliper is well worth your money. Digital body fat calipers calculate your body fat electronically on certain body parts and some even come bundled with fat tracking software for your computer. Always remember knowledge is power, the more you know the quicker your muscle gains!