Monday, December 24, 2012

So Easy to Gain Weight but So Hard to Loose

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Image source from: The Art of Donald McGill- George Orwell

Do not deny that we always heard this conversation, 'It's such a easy to become a fat man but to become a thin, ouh my..so hard and die!' Now maybe u may even wondered you just spent your time for a vacation or during any of festivals even though you try cut out some food calories it is still u gain some weight. Now seemingly I want to discuss unbalanced equation of  weight gain vs. weight loss, the facts that surround the issue and how losing the 5 pounds feels so much harder than gaining them:

THE FACT #1: SIMPLE MATH EQUATION

Calories Eaten = Basal Metabolic Rate + Physical Activity

If what you eat equals more than what your body uses, you will gain weight. In the situation of a vacation, it is likely that you eat more unhealthy food than normal and possibly get less exercise, resulting in an imbalanced equation, with a higher number of calories on the eaten side than on the burned side. That imbalance over the course of a few days can easily represent a few pounds.

THE FACT #2: CALORIES

One pound of body mass represents 3,500 calories. Regardless, if you are trying to lose a pound or gain a pound, the pound will always represent 3,500 calories. So, if you eat 3,500 calories more than your body requires, you will gain 1 pound. Similarly, if you eat 3,500 calories less than your body requires, you will lose 1 pound. Whether you are 120 pounds or 175 pounds, you will gain one pound from eating 3,500 calories more than you need. Unfortunately, this doesn't hold true for burning calories. How much you weigh actually dictates how many calories you burn per hour. The more you weigh, the more you burn, and as a result, the easier it is to lose the pound...sound crazy? It is true.

THE FACT #3: YOUR AGING

As if aging doesn't contribute enough to unfavorable things, it also contributes to weight gain. As we get older, our metabolism slows down, requiring us to need less food and calories. If you don't modify your caloric intake as you get older to reflect this change in metabolism, you will start to see weight gain.

SOLUTION: HOW TO FIRING UP YOUR METABOLISM

"Protein is the building block of muscle," says Roberta Anding, R.D., a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association). "The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you expend." Your muscles can use only 30 grams of protein at any time, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association notes. Any more than that gets stored as fat. Aim for a minimum of 46 g of protein per day.

It's impossible to live in a worry-free bubble, but constant anxiety can cause your adrenal gland to pump out too much cortisol. High levels of the stress hormone change how your metabolism stores fat, sending flab to the belly, where it affects vital organs. 


"A vigorous workout raises your internal temperature, creates some inflammation and depletes your energy stores," says David C. Nieman, Ph.D., professor at Appalachian State University. "Afterward, it takes extra energy for your body to bounce back to its normal resting state." Intervals are great for upping calorie burn during your workout, but to keep metabolism high hours after you've left the gym, you need to exercise once or twice a week for 45 minutes at a steady level that makes it difficult to converse (about a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest you could go). Relax after the tough workout, and revel as you burn nearly 200 more calories from your couch. "As you age, you start to lose some muscle mass," says Geralyn Coopersmith, an exercise physiologist and national director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. "Lifting weights helps you maintain and build on what you have, so your metabolism stays high."


As few as two sleepless nights can mess with your metabolism—increasing levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger, and decreasing levels of the hormone leptin, which tells you to stop munching—a study in Endocrine Development shows. Research also notes that sleep debt causes insulin resistance, interfering with how your metabolism processes fat and leading to weight gain. Seven to eight hours of sleep per night is considered the sweet spot, says Richard D. Simon Jr., M.D., of Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington. The Up by Jawbone ($99) can help you track your zzz's. The bracelet uses motion sensors to monitor movement, calculating your calorie burn and how well you sleep.


The fiber in produce helps stabilize blood sugar levels, keeping your metabolism humming. Plus, the antioxidants in fruit and vegetables help your body get rid of free radicals, says Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., a spokeswoman for the Institute of Food Technologists. Free radicals can harm healthy cells—cells your body needs to keep your metabolism going strong. Unwanted pounds and health complications can result. Aim for 25 g to 30 g of fiber per day. To get the most benefit for your calories, load up your plate with these 10 foods, which, in addition to having fiber, Norwegian researchers have found are high scorers when it comes to antioxidant capacity: walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, blackberries, cranberries, boiled artichokes, dried apricots, curly kale and red cabbage.


Reference: The Health Magazine, Yahoo Shine, Medic.Net, Science Today

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