Getting Fit: Knowing body key to fitness
Each year we all tend to set a New Year’s fitness resolution that we can’t keep for more than a few months.
Is it even possible to hold on to the dream of being physically fit for more than a few weeks?
On day one you cut out all fried potatoes from your morning breakfast at McDonalds, but you eat the rest of the value meal. During lunch at the all you can eat food bar, you decide to cut out the carbonated drink, but eat three plates of seafood.
At this point you’re thinking, “so far so good,” and sneak in a low-carb protein candy bar before you leave work. For the last meal of the day with the family, it’s two chili dogs and a slim-fast. You end your day feeling good about the self control that you exhibited and reward yourself with a big bowl of chocolate ice cream before bedtime.
Does this sound all too familiar?
To better understand how to diet, you must first understand the physical structure and anatomic makeup of your body.
The human body is composed of three major categories of material: Lean tissue, fat and water. Lean tissue, such as muscle, bone, and organs, normally makes up about 15 to 20 percent of total body weight, most of which is muscle. The amount of fat on the body normally ranges from 12 percent to 28 percent, and the remaining weight consists mainly of water.
A man’s body usually contains proportionately more muscle and less fat than a woman’s does. Athletes, regardless of sex, tend to have less fat and more muscle than do non-athletes. In terms of energy use, lean tissue — pound for pound — burns more calories even at rest than does soft tissue. So it makes logical sense to build muscle to burn fat.
Some individuals are blessed with great genetics and some of us are cursed with less than desirable genes. This difference is what makes us all unique, much like our fingerprint. Some of us are born with an incredible amount of fat cells, and some are born with very little. There are some extreme exceptions to this rule that can be corrected medically with medication, lipo-suction, and gastric bypass surgery. Typically you must be 100 pounds overweight and your physician must approve these procedures.
The most efficient fat burning program includes cardiovascular and weight lifting exercises three to five times a week. Of course, you will need to cut back on your calories and maintain healthy eating habits throughout each and every day.
Most of the local fitness establishments can set you up on a program. It’s as easy as eating less and exercising more. Your first step toward success comes from a phrase that Nike came up with years ago and remains true today: “Just Do It!”
Q&A
Question: Is it good to drink a Slim Fast in place of a meal? Mrs. Elizabeth Cain, Manchester
Answer: No. Slim fast has a large percentage of the calories coming from simple sugars, 35 grams. On the positive side there are 10 grams of protein in each serving and small amounts of fiber, but the large amount of simple sugars far outweigh the benefits. It is these types of carbohydrates that you want to eliminate from your diet. There is enough sugar in one can of Slim Fast to kill an elephant.
(Kelly Shires is the Wellness Coordinator at the McMinnville Civic Center. Write in with your fitness and weight loss questions, and we will select one each week to post in our Q&A Section.)