_edited.jpg)
Which body part is your nemesis; butt, thighs, tummy, chin?
Trying to lose weight from one part of your body is sometimes called spot reduction, but does it work?
Why do we put on fat anyway, what's the point of it?
These are the questions that I think many of us consider at some point? So let's start with the point of fat in the first place. Why do we need it? Body fat is necessary for the regulation of glucose, cholesterol, energy storage and release, and reproductive hormone metabolism. Without enough body fat, these functions can be compromised. So we do want some fat on our body - whoop!
We see a lot of images in the media of very trim people, and some of them will be genetically thin. I am not one of these people. I read an article on CNN and it said from the back of a study that “Genes play at least 40% of a role in people’s weight,” Farooqi told CNN. “It’s much more than people realize.”
Today there are a lot of people who train with weights or bodybuild far more than when I was a kid. Some of them will be in the genetically thin category, some will be working hard and pulling it off healthily, but there is a darker side, where some people have fallen into disorders such as orthorexia (an unhealthy obsession with eating “pure” food. Food considered “pure” or “impure” can vary from person to person), anorexia (not eating enough food, exercising too much, taking laxatives or making themselves sick), and bulimia (where they eat a lot of food in a very short amount of time, then throw up to try to stop themselves from gaining weight). None of these are healthy ways to live.
So we do want some fat, but how much fat is enough?
For people aged 20 to 39, women should aim for 21% to 32% of body fat. Men should have 8% to 19%. For people 40 to 59, women should fall between 23% to 33% and men should fall around 11% to 21%. If you’re aged 60 to 79, women should have 24% to 35% body fat and men should have 13% to 24%. Women naturally have a higher body fat percentage than men. Their body fat will also naturally increase as they age. Women generally need a higher body fat due to the demands of childbirth and other hormonal factors
I have digressed a little so let's get back on point. Can we lose body fat in once place, through spot reduction? The University of Sydney says "Unfortunately, spot reduction is another weight-loss myth. It's simply not possible to target the location where you lose weight."
The fat stored in our bodies takes the form of triglycerides (fat molecule we use for energy). When we eat, our bodies converts any unused energy consumed into triglycerides.
Triglycerides are stored in fat cells called adipocytes, & they’re released into our bloodstream and transported to adipose tissue (otherwise known as body fat).
This body fat is found all over our bodies, in fat stores. The fat stores we use for energy when exercising get drawn from everywhere on our bodies, not just a specific store e.g the belly, or thighs etc.
If we want to lose fat from one place what do we have to do? We have to lose it from all over. If this is what you want to do, please though, choose to do it in a way that doesn't make you miserable, and doesn't make you ill. From everything I have read, it is all about your calorie intake, and you have probably heard people saying calories in versus calories out. However you still want to feel full, so make sure you are eating enough food, fill your plate with the rainbow, don't ban any foods, but you know intrinsically which ones are better for you, so, put more of those ones on your plate, and take less of the ones that you know are maybe not as good for you. Have a pause before going back for seconds, sometimes your brain needs a moment to register its full, but don't leave hungry.
If you want to aid things along weight training is brilliant way to aid a bit of lean muscle and aid in reducing fat across your whole body. A new study of the molecular underpinnings of resistance exercise, found that after weight training, muscles create and release little bubbles of genetic material that can flow to fat cells, jump-starting processes there related to fat burning. Sounds good to me.
The summer is coming now, we have 3 months. If you are looking to make a change before the season makes us wear less clothes, shorts, t-shirts, skirts, vest tops, and let us not forget the blooming swimming costumes, then it's time to start thinking about it now, and make some adjustments, but with care and sensitivity to yourself.
I have a Zoom class on a Wednesday night at 19:30 which is Pilates with weights, which is perfect for anyone who is wanting to add some strength training into their week, to aid with reducing fat. To get a FREE taster message me on https://www.thankupilates.com/contact I am also about to embark on a sports nutrition course. If you want to be updated on the things I learn, then do join my FREE facebook group Right Now Thank U https://www.facebook.com/groups/rightnowthanku where I will give you snippets as I learn.
Love Chantal 💜
Links below of all the things I read to write this blog, in case you want to read more in depth
Kommentarer