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BODIES BY HOFFMAN HEALTH AND FITNESS NEWS
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The High Protein/Low Carbohydrate diet is in vogue again. Tweny years ago, Dr. Atkins made the high protein diet popular. Today, other authors have joined in the crusade. "Protein Power", "The Zone", and "The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet" are among the new books adding more fuel to this debate. |
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The main premise of these books is the obesity epidemic in the United States is caused by increased insulin levels. Insulin is the hormone that is responsible for transporting glucose from the bloodstream into the brain and muscle cells, and then what glucose is left over is stored as fat. According to these authors, if fewer carbohydrates are consumed, there will be a lower insulin response and less sugar will be stored as fat. They also claim that when carbohydrates are limited, the body will prefer to burn fat for fuel. These are truly remarkable claims; all you have to do is eat low to no carbs, all the protein you want, and you will lose weight. If we examine this from a rational standpoint, it does not make sense. For example, I always ask my clients, "If you consume 2500 calories in a day, whether it is all protein, carbohydrates, or fat, and only burn 2000 calories, where do the extra 500 calories go?" The answer, of course, is it will be stored as fat. On these high protein diets, an individual can lose weight at first. There are two reasons for this: decreased caloric intake and water loss. The decrease in calories is due to the fact that when you cut out carbohydrates, you are cutting out roughly 60% of your daily calories. Imagine trying to make up the difference in calories lost by carbohydrates by adding that much more protein. Not a pleasant thought. Water loss is the other reason why weight loss occurs initially. For every molecule of carbohydrate stored, your body stores three molecules of water. So when the carbohydrates are gone, so is the water, and so is the weight. It is not weight lost from fat. The truth is, a high protein diet is a low calorie diet in disguise. As mentioned earlier, cutting out carbohydrates from an individual's diet reduces the caloric intake roughly 50-60 percent. To make up the difference by eating only eggs, bacon, and other meats can lose its appeal rather quickly. And let's not forget that a high protein diet is also high in fat, especially saturated fat, which is proven to lead to heart disease. One more point that needs to be addressed- it is very difficult to exercise with any kind of intensity or consistency on a high protein diet. The primary choice of fuel for muscles is (still) carbohydrates, and converting protein to use as fuel is very hard for the body to do. In closing, even though more and more authors are touting the benefits of a high protein diet, it still makes more sense to follow the recommendations of the America Dietetic Association. They recommend a diet that comprises of 60% Carbohydrate, 25% fat, and 15% protein. Not only will you look and feel much better, but most importantly, you will be much healthier.
Want to Lose FAT? Lift Weights!The number one reason why people come to me is to help them lose body fat. When I suggest weight training should be the main focus of their exercise program and aerobic training should play a supporting role, most of my clients are surprised. After all, aerobic training burns calories, particularly from fat, while weight training is good for building muscle. However, a little known fact is that weight training ultimately burns far more calories than aerobic training for the same amount of effort over time. Here's how it works: when someone does an aerobic workout, they typically will burn between 200-400 calories per workout. When a strength-training workout is done, 200-400 calories are burned as well. So far, both forms of exercise burn roughly the same amount of calories per workout. However, the difference occurs during rest. After a strength training session, the body continues to burn calories, however, the body does not after an aerobic session. This is due to an increase in muscle mass, which in turn increases the basal metabolic rate. | |||
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The basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories burned on a daily basis to perform necessary bodily functions. It accounts for roughly 70-75 percent of the total calories burnt daily. The total energy expenditure breaks down roughly to 5-10 percent of calories a day are used to process food and use it for fuel or fat, 20 percent are used for exercise and activities of daily living, and as already mentioned, 70-75 percent are used to perform bodily functions, such as blood circulation, respiration, temperature regulation, and hormone secretion. | ||
| A major factor that contributes to the burning of calories of the basal metabolic rate is the amount of muscle an individual has. Researchers speculate that a pound of muscle burns between 40 to 60 calories a day, even at rest. Muscle is living, breathing tissue that needs nutrition (calories) to survive. So the more muscle someone has, the more calories will be burned on a daily basis. Now let's take a closer look at how strength training and aerobic training compare. Both forms of exercise burn approximately the same amount of calories during the workout. However, with strength training, one can increase muscle mass by about four pounds in two months. This will increase the basal metabolic rate about 200 calories a day. Over a week's time, an aerobic workout will burn 900 calories (300 calories times three workouts), while the strength training workout will burn 2300 calories a week (300 times three plus 1400 from an extra 200 calories a day due to extra muscle). As you can see, it is a significant difference in the amount of calories burned from the same amount of time spent on exercise. If an individual kept his caloric consumption the same, he would experience a greater loss of body fat from strength training than aerobic training. Another important point worth mentioning is the average person will lose about one half pound of muscle a year, starting in their early twenties and continuing through the rest of their lives. This will cause a decrease in their basal metabolic rate. I often get calls from prospects saying, "I eat and exercise the same way I did when I was younger, but my body is not responding the same, what is wrong?" The truth is, this person concentrated on aerobic training, lost some muscle, and lowered their basal metabolic rate. So if you want to lose body fat, start a weight-training program. Give it priority, and soon you will reap the rewards of a tone, strong and healthier body!
Cooking TipsHere are some ideas to help keep the calories down and the taste up!
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