NUMBER ONE HOOK for Weight Loss
The body generates energy from food calories to function. There are two main calorie sources available for the body to convert into energy, sugar and fat, and a third one sparingly used, protein. It is a fact that the body holds calories waiting to be used for energy production in a water molecule compound. When calories slow down coming in after going on a diet, any diet of restricted calories, the water that was holding those excess energy calories is no longer needed and gets expelled from the body. The first week on any new diet results in a 5-7 pound loss of WATER WEIGHT. After the first week, any future weight loss has to come from burning stored fat and /or the breakdown of muscle proteins to turn into calories. The 5-6 pounds of water weight will return after going off a diet.
WHY BODY MOVEMENT IS PARAMOUNT
Beware of weight loss programs that say you don't have to change your behaviors, like the type or amount of food consumed and also don't include an increase in exercise. As one looses weight, both fat and muscle will decrease as they are turned into calories. The heart is also a muscle and yes, you can shrink the heart muscle as well if you are not exercising it during weight loss. This can become a problem especially if the weight is added back in the future. Far to often only fat gains back and not the heart muscle mass or other body muscles unless one is again exercising them. This stresses the now smaller heart to pump blood throughout the again bigger body. An activity that will over time cause the heart to enlarge unnaturally from stress of overwork.
Here is a point you need to understand about calories, whether from FAT, carbohydrates, or proteins. At a meal, the calories consumed can go to one of three places. 1. First, into the blood and get immediately burned up as energy in cells. 2. Be turned into glycogen and stored in muscles and other tissues for later use over a few days. 3. Or calories will turn into fat and be stored if the first two avenues are already filled. While you do need some fat in the body, it is the daily excess of calories over the amount needed to fill up both the first and second areas that increases body weight. A wise choice is to free up some glycogen storage space with body movement before you consume more calories. You have to earn or exercise the right to consume more food calories.
NOTE: It does not matter the source of calories. Junk foods or natural whole foods, calories are all the same to the body regardless of source. Of course, nutritionally the body needs nutrients to function and will rebel when it is derived of necessary quantities. Plus, as one consumes excess food over time, this over consumption can disrupt the appetite switch and hunger stimulus lasts longer than normal.
EXERCISE Additional Benefits
The major benefit of body movement is not that it burns lots of calories, but rather that it uses up short term stored calories opening up room for more calories at the next meal. It also turns up the rate of metabolism over the whole day and not just while exercising or moving. It becomes more difficult to reach excess calories and have them turn into fat. There is also an enzyme that tells body cells to burn calories for energy. Excess food consumption over time begins to shut down this enzyme.
Just like during fasting, when dieting the body actually begins to slow down metabolism and more calories, even when reserves in blood and muscles are not filled, will turn into fat storage. This mechanism developed over many years to protect the body during scarce food times. But this process still defeats the purpose of dieting and is another reason exercise is needed for successful weight-loss and heart muscle protection.
PRECAUTION: Many weight loss products contain stimulates that influence the heart rate as well as metabolism. This can be hazardous when coupled with another potential adverse effect from diuretics. With the loss of water, vital minerals, especially electrolytes, are eliminated out of the body. This could have adverse effects on nerve and muscle actions, such as cramping or spasms. This mineral imbalance can set up very serious situations and has resulted in a few deaths from cardiac arrest, especially when aggravated by strenuous exercise in hot weather.
FYI: All about FAT. Fat to bone connection> FAT on bone Bone & Fat. Bone on Energy & Fat