Fat Cells, Your Diet, And
Losing Weight
by Janet Roache
This may come as a surprise...
More than half of all adults that reside in the United States
are overweight. That is 100 million people!
I personally have struggled with weight management. My
weight has fluctuated almost 30 lbs. Can you believe it. One
month I weighed 115 pounds and 6 months later I am up to 145
pounds.
Have you ever wondered what that mystery fat is?
When a individual packs on 20 pounds what
is happening inside their body? In this article I will explain
what "fat cells" are and how they work.
So where are all these fat (adipose tissue) cells located? Fat
can be discovered in several places on your body. Most fat is
located underneath your skin. Other spots are determined by
whether you are a woman or man.
Most women tend to carry fat in their hips, breasts, buttocks,
and waist. This gives you the pear shape syndrome.
On the other side of the spectrum adult men carry the fat in
their chest, buttocks, and abdomen (gut) which gives you the
apple shape (aka beer gut syndrome). Sex hormones dictate the
different locations of fat tissue amongst man and woman.
Did you know that the human body contains two types of fat
tissue? Most people are unaware of this.
Brown fat, which is found mostly in newborn babies, helps with
heat insulation. There is also white fat. White fat is
important for your metabolism and heat insulation. Fat cells
are what make up fat tissue. Think of a fat cell as a small
(very small) container that holds 1 drop of fat.
How does fat enter your body? When you eat fatty foods it goes
through your stomach and your intestines. It is the job of your
intestine to break down the fat into smaller parts. Of course
this is a complex process that occurs. We could write a whole
other article on this topic alone.
So let's take a moment to talk about how your body actually
breaks down fat. When your body sits idle it still needs fuel
to run. Your body will go to your internal energy stores (not
literally) of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Your body's #1
source of energy is glucose (sugar).
So how do you gain or lose weight you ask? Your actual weight
is determined by the rate you store that energy after you eat
and the rate at which you burn this energy. So in general what
you need to do to lose weight is as follows:
a. Eat a balanced diet, which balances the three ingredients I
mentioned above (glucose, fat, and protein)
b. Do not over eat. Keep your calories around 2000 per day
c. Regular exercise, 3 to 4 times a week for 30 minutes.
In conclusion, you have learned that there are two types of
fats. Also, if you burn less stored energy then you use, then
you start to gain weight. You can prevent this weight gain by
maintaining a healthy 2000 calorie diet per day mixed in with 3
days of exercise.
Remember that each individual's body is different. Try to
customize a plan that works for you. I personally use an
exercise bike while reading a book. I also play racquetball to
mix up my workouts and to make the workout fun.
About the Author: Janet Roache writes for http://www.information-on-weight-loss.com
Source: www.isnare.com
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