Muscle or Body Fat?

One of the mysteries of metabolism, and the despair of many dieters, is the fact that some people store fat although they go on continuous diets while others remain slim no matter how much they eat.

One of the main reasons that must be considered is individual basal metabolism. This is the energy consumption needed simply to keep the body going; the rate at which energy-burning in the body is maintained, and it differs from individual to individual.

We all carry genetic weaknesses — biochemical Achilles heels — and we all have predispositions toward certain variations in metabolism, some of which can result in weight difficulties. Research has shown that obesity has a lot to do with genetic predisposition, expressed in improper functioning of the thyroid and or adrenal glands, brown fat metabolism problems and eating behavior.

Given the various health problems associated with excessive weight, not to mention the social pressures of not being ‘trim, taut and terrific’, we have to find ways of improving the management of our weight. Of course, two people of the same weight can be completely different in their ratios of fat to muscle. One can be heavily muscled and the other one can just be fat. They weigh the same but lead completely different lives and have completely different health prospects.

Activate Brown Fat and Improve Lean Body Mass

Lean body mass is the percentage of your total weight that is made up of muscle and bone as opposed to that made up of fat. This is increased by improving the efficiency of your metabolism so that fat is lost whilst muscle is retained. Your body works best at maintaining health and fitness when your food is efficiently converted to energy through enough oxygen being delivered to every cell — another reason for breathing exercises.

Appropriate aerobic exercises help promote brown fat activity and encourage appetite regulation. An aerobic exercise is one in which you work hard to move oxygen through your cardiovascular system. It might be jogging, brisk walking, swimming, skipping, cycling. But not everyone should jog. People who have very significant body mass above the ideal for their height may actually do their joints harm.

Each time your heel comes down when you’re running, you apply extreme force to your joints, depending on how heavy you are, what shoes you are wearing and the surface you are running on. Swimming is an excellent alternative to increase your aerobic fitness as it works all muscles of the body in a reasonably trauma-free environment, for the water supports your weight.