Losing body fat is a difficult endeavour to many individuals. This often relates to misunderstanding the behaviours that lead to effective body composition improvements. The mainstream medical establishment has no real understanding of nutrition or exercise and as a result has a very poor track record in fat loss advice. Proponents of the ‘eat-too-much, do-too-little’ theory of weight gain are therefore ensuring long-term failure in any fat loss programme by applying its logic to their diet. In addition, the focusing of the attention to weight loss, rather than body fat loss, also causes a reduction in the long-term success for the individual. This is because initial weight loss, if it is skeletal muscle, dramatically increase the likelihood of future regain of body fat. Here are 5 behaviours that should be the cornerstone of any successful body fat programme.
1. Do Not ‘Diet’
Forced calorie restriction has been shown to cause a loss of lean body tissue and this in turn reduces the resting metabolic rate. Because the resting metabolic rate contributes the largest portion of the daily energy expenditure, its reduction causes a cessation of body fat loss and eventual fat regain. Resting metabolic rate must not be allowed to decrease if long term body composition improvements are required, and this means no forced calorie restriction.
2. Avoid Fructose
Fructose is thought to be the primary cause of insulin resistance which leads to the development of abdominal weight gain and metabolic syndrome. Elevated plasma insulin levels are thought to cause leptin resistance and this in turn disrupts the ability of the hypothalamus to regulate appetite, resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure. Fructose is part of the sucrose molecule and so replacement of fat with sugar in the belief that low fat food will aid weight loss is counterproductive.
3. Replace all Refined Carbohydrates with Whole Grains
Refined carbohydrates are a cause of lifestyle diseases and have no place in a healthy diet. Refined carbohydrates lack both fibre and micronutrients when compared to their whole grain counterparts. This is important because high fibre diets are associated with lower body fat levels and the mineral chromium is required for effective insulin action. Refined carbohydrates exacerbate the problems caused by fructose in the diet and they encourage increased food intakes because they fail trigger satiety.
4. Lower Carbohydrate Intake
Low carbohydrate diets work without forced calorie restriction, This alone should be enough to convinced anyone that the diets are effective in reversing the metabolic problems associated with refined carbohydrates. Lowering the carbohydrate content of the diet is effective at causing weight loss because it causes reductions in insulin levels and this reverses the leptin resistance that results in problematic responses from the hypothalamus.
5. Perform Resistance Training
Resistance training is anabolic and causes an increase in skeletal muscle tissue. This in turn increases the resting metabolic rate and increase the amount of energy an individual requires to maintain body weight. Endurance training in contrast is catabolic and has the opposite effect. Performing resistance training and increasing lean mass is the most important part of effective body composition improvements, but the least understood and utilised of the tactics available.
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