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Fat Loss Demystified - Once and for All

Discussion in 'Family Medicine' started by neo_star, Jan 21, 2013.

  1. neo_star

    neo_star Moderator

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    Fat Loss Demystified - Once and for All
    by neo_star

    written xclusively for FOM

    this is based on insights from our physiology book - Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 12 ed ( sections 13 and 15 ) and my application of this knowledge unto myself and some of my gym mates whose primary goal is fat loss.


    I will not talk about eat right (quit sodas and go for whole foods), sleep well, quit smoking / drinking, reduce stress etc stuff...as these are well known facts and B4 reading my article, i expect most people to be actually doing it. My article focuses on why you may not lose weight / reduce fat / reduce waist line in-spite of doing everything right.

    - a lot of people look at the waist line ( right from the start ) as a measure of fat loss ( to be precise...since most people now understand that during the initial phase as we put on muscle, our weight may actually increase ). It needs to be emphasized that belly fat is the first to come on and the last to leave...so looking at the waist line may not be a great way to assess weight loss. Also lateral bends with weight or resistance will increase the waist line further due to hypertrophy of the obliques and the quadratus lumborum ( the big oak trunk between the rib and iliac crest ). I have seen many people at the gym i visit, overdo the lateral bends in an attempt to lose fat from the waist...well there is nothing called spot reduction...ur overall fat stores get consumed ( the ones away from the trunk being consumed first ). So the best way is to measure skin fold thickness, with an easily available skin caliper and that would be the best measure ( note - there will be a slight variation in the same region depending on the spot u pick each time ).

    many people ( mostly men ) skip the leg workout, becos they are not considered the glamor muscles. The thighs ( quads and hams ) are easiest to build and larger muscles will increase the BMR and accelerate the fat burning process..additionally it will give u the strength to go those xtra miles on the treadmill.

    Speaking of the treadmill / aerobic activity - it should be low intensity ( walking is best suited with focus on a midfoot strike to reduce impact on the joints ) and long duration.... the idea is to allow the fat burning to kick in ( which peaks at 1 - 2 hours into the exercise ) and most people quit long b4 that and have a heavy post workout snack ( actually a meal + protein shake / milk shake )...thereby replenishing the glycogen stores and may be further piling on fat..but never allowing the fat stores to be utilized.
    Note: Milk-shakes / protein shakes / high energy drinks are meant for athletes and the body building population who have very little fat stores ( 3- 5 % of body weight ) and not for those who intend to lose weight.

    Lastly ( and very importantly ) ...part of the expanded waist line is because of the sagging musculature ( mainly the transverse abdominis )..becos the long hours that we spend crouched at the desk, cause the intestines to gravitate to the bottom and stretch out the transverse abdominis.


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    So the best way to correct this is yes a correct posture


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    and core exercises to tighten the sagging abdominal musculature ( mainly transverse abdominis )

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    not ab crunches which will only cause a hypertrophy of the rectus and add to the waist line, in addition to further flexing the lumbar spine ( think about it )


    I hope this will be of some help, to many of you who are keen to lose fat and lead a healthy life.


    (-:
     

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    Last edited: Jan 21, 2013
    Egyptian Doctor likes this.

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