Muscles Burn More Calories Than FAT!

Does muscle burn that many more calories than fat?

I know muscle burns more calories than fat, but is it really enough to make a difference? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

 

 

Absolutely! The basic principle here is that, since lean mass (muscle and bone) requires more energy to maintain than fat, resting energy expenditure is going to be higher with greater lean mass. If you take two men of equal weight, but one has a higher ratio of lean body mass to fat mass, he will burn more calories at rest than his chubbier counterpart. In terms of numbers, this works out to about 13 kcals/kg per day for muscle and 5 kcals/kg per day for fat. It is accepted that 80 percent of the difference in energy expenditure is explained by body composition. The remainder is most likely determined by genetics, age and gender.

 

To keep focused on the question at hand, let's look at two studies that address the main ways people try to change their body composition: diet and exercise.

A study at Tufts University in 1994 found that men and women who participated in a resistance-training (strength-building) program gained lean mass (duh!) and subsequently burned more calories at rest, regardless of how many calories they had burned during exercise. Interestingly, however, in a 1997 study at Columbia University, subjects were placed on a diet and randomly assigned to either a resistance-training or aerobic program and tracked throughout. The results found no significant differences in resting energy expenditure between the two groups. Why did one study show a metabolic boost with increased lean-body mass, while the other didn't? One possible explanation is that when caloric intake is reduced—as is the case with diets—the resulting slowdown of the body's metabolism overrides the boost that lean mass might provide. It is important, of course, to keep in mind that these studies had different experimental conditions.

My take: Resistance training increases lean mass, which results in more calories burned throughout the day; aerobic exercise burns more calories during a workout than resistance training; and the benefits of both are too important to ignore.

 Source: http://www.outsideonline.com/1768511/does-muscle-burn-many-more-calories-fat

 

From mindful metabolism to cutting calories: 10 ways to get your diet back on track

WITH carb-loaded comfort food tempting us to scupper healthy-eating intentions, here’s how to keep your waistline in check…

By MARINA GASK

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, Oct 25, 2015

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Those who spend 45 minutes or more in the kitchen per day have lower body mass indexes

1. Match your DNA

Researchers at The University of Sheffield found that a one-size-fits-all approach to diet doesn’t work and weight-loss strategies need to be more tailored. A massive 60 per cent of variance in body weight is due to genetic factors, so make your diet work with your genetic make-up. 

SOLUTION: DNAFit is a programme that provides bespoke advice to improve your fitness, weight and health by analysing your genes. 

A saliva test provides the information to develop your personalised diet and exercise programme. The DNAFit test and consultation costs from £99 at dnafit.com.

2. Sleep well

A study by Weill Cornell Medical College in the US discovered just 30 minutes less sleep per night than normal can cause weight gain. The more sleep-deprived you are, the less regulated your hormones. You release too much cortisol, which increases your appetite and not enough leptin, which controls fat stores. 

SOLUTION: “Set an alarm for 9.30pm to remind you to switch all technology off to guarantee a good night’s sleep,” says nutritional adviser and personal fitness trainer Rachel McGuinness (zestlifestyle.com). “A tech amnesty is essential as the blue light emitted by computer screens increases serotonin secretion, fighting the body’s sleep hormone, melatonin.”

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Sleep well: 30 minutes less sleep per night than normal can cause weight gain

3. On the move

Never mind spin classes – just moving more will have a huge impact on your ability to lose weight. Long periods of gentle exercise – such as daily dog walks – are better at fat burning than high-intensity cardio gym sessions. Low-intensity exercise improves insulin sensitivity and blood lipid levels, which are both indicators of diabetes and obesity. 

SOLUTION: Keep on the go and the energy burnt will soon clock up: 150 minutes of brisk walking a week is a good rule of thumb. Or get a Fitbit and aim to do 10,000 steps a day. 

4. Cut calories

Most of us eat far too many calories, which is why nearly two thirds of the adult population is overweight or obese. Eating out is almost as bad as takeaways when it comes to calories, due to added cream and butter, plus alcohol that weakens our resolve while piling on more calories. 

SOLUTION: Use the NHS-approved app Cook & Count, which measures exactly how many calories there are in your cooking, and also gives you the nutritional content of fat, carbohydrate and protein. 

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Long periods of gentle exercise – such as daily dog walks – are great at fat burning

5. Mindful metabolism

Ever felt that those extra few inches won’t shift? This could be something to do with your metabolism. Understanding how it works could hold the key to transforming your shape for the long term. 

SOLUTION: Get your metabolism analysed. The results of a Hypoxi analysis (hypoxi.net) explain how high your consumption of calories is, how well your body uses its fat reserves, how many calories a day you really need and what type of foods are recommended for you. 

6. Know your sugar

With Jamie Oliver declaring sugar is almost as bad for you as alcohol and tobacco, the average Brit consumes 238 teaspoons of it each week. 

Yet glucose is the chemical in the bloodstream that carries energy to the brain, muscles and other organs and systems. Acts of self-control – like eating sensibly – reduce blood glucose levels. 

SOLUTION: Low levels of glucose predict poor performance on self-control tasks and tests. Replenishing glucose at low willpower points in the day (such as mid-afternoon) with a small glass of lemonade improves self-control performance – meaning you can resist treats.

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When you get the urge to snack, do something with your hands like trying an adult colouring book

7. Enjoy the kitchen

Research has found those who spend 45 minutes or more in the kitchen per day have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than those who only spend less time preparing meals – 39 per cent of those who had a healthy BMI (of 18.5-24.9) on average spent 45 minutes or more preparing meals per day.

SOLUTION: Not having the right ingredients for rustling up a healthy meal is the key, so stock up the freezer and you’ll have no excuse. Have a ready supply of frozen veg, herbs, root ginger and chillis, plus cook-from-frozen fish and mince, as well as frozen fruit for healthysorbets.

8. Beat boredom

A recent Weight Watchers survey found the biggest reason for snacking is boredom and the average Brit spends 34 days a year thinking about food. 

SOLUTION: “When you get the urge to snack, do something with your hands like trying an adult colouring book or playing a brain-training game on your phone,” says Rachel McGuinness. “If you normally have a snack at a certain time, go for a walk or do an activityinstead, so you break the snacking-when-bored cycle.”

9. False friends

We’re meant to eat at least five servings of fruit and veg a day for optimum health. But a recent study by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston found starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas will make you gain weight.

SOLUTION: Vegetables that contain lots of fibre and are low in carbohydrates such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts lead to greater weight loss, probably because they make you feel full. If you want to lose weight, eat more berries, pears, apples, tofu, soy, cauliflower and green, leafy vegetables.

10. Don’t give up

We’re only human and even the most disciplined of us falls off the diet wagon now and again with the odd comfort-eating binge.

SOLUTION: Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day – we all deserve the odd treat. Just resolve to get back on track for the rest of the week. Think of it as “calories in, calories out” and plan a way to exercise it off. 

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/613627/10-ways-to-get-your-diet-back-on-track

The Dangers of Deep Belly Fat

By Chris Woolston, M.S.

Fat can show up in all sorts of places. It can strain the seat of a pair of jeans, hang over a belt, or make a wedding ring nearly impossible to remove. In these thin-conscious times, many people worry about every extra ripple and bulge, no matter where it shows up. Doctors, however, see things differently. When it comes to your health, there's one place where fat is especially dangerous.

Fat around the midsection is a strong risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some types of cancers, says Samuel Klein, MD, the director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

Despite many years of studies -- and an overabundance of potential study volunteers -- experts aren't exactly sure why people with large midsections are such frequent targets for disease. They do know that fat cells actually regulate metabolic functions, and many experts believe fat cells in the belly release especially large amounts of fatty acids, which can wreak havoc on a person's blood sugar and insulin metabolism.

Metabolism meltdown

One thing's certain: people with large bellies and deep (visceral) fat tend to lose sensitivity to insulin, a crucial hormone that helps the body burn energy. When insulin loses its power, the body responds by pumping out more of the hormone, which only throws the system further off balance.

As a result, people with extra belly fat are vulnerable to a whole cascade of problems known as insulin resistance syndrome or metabolic syndrome. The syndrome -- which is estimated to affect over 50 million Americans -- comes with a frightening array of potential complications. For one thing, people with insulin resistance often develop type 2 diabetes. They also tend to have high blood pressure and too much bad cholesterol, a recipe for heart disease, according to numerous studies.

Don't start worrying, though, if you only have "love handles" -- those are composed of fat near the surface of the skin. It's the visceral fat that wraps around organs deeper in the abdomen that appears to be metabolically active.

The tale of the tape

It's not hard to find out if you have a potentially unhealthy amount of belly fat. All you need is a tape measure. Exhale, relax, and wrap the measure around your stomach. The bottom of the tape should be exactly even with the top of your hip bone. Keep the tape straight and snug, but don't let it dig into your skin. If you're a man, a waist circumference of more than 40 inches means you are at a higher risk for heart and other diseases. Women with a waist circumference of over 35 inches are at increased risk.

According to a report in the British Medical Journal, the size of your waist may say more about your health than other common measures of obesity, including body mass index (BMI) or waist-to-hip ratio. For most people, however, the scale really does tell the story. "Almost everyone with a BMI over 30 [the standard definition of obesity] also has a large waist circumference," Klein says. The small number of people with healthy BMIs and large waists still seem to be targets for health problems, he says, a testament to the dangers of belly fat.

Apples and pears

In general, your body shape is a reflection of both your genes and your lifestyle. Different people put on fat in different places. Some people just naturally carry weight in their midsections (an apple shape) while others are more bottom-heavy (a pear shape).

Young women often gain weight on their legs and bottoms, while men are more likely to pack it on their bellies. This may be one reason why men in their 30s and 40s are much more likely than women of the same age to suffer from heart disease. Once women reach menopause, they tend to start spreading out in the middle. Perhaps not coincidentally, this is also the time when their risk of heart disease catches up with men's.

Whatever your age or gender, a life of TV and fast food can go right to your belly. A study by researchers at Duke University suggests that shunning exercise is an especially effective way to put on belly fat. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, found that just eight months of inactivity increased visceral fat -- the potentially dangerous layer of belly fat -- by about 9 percent. On the bright side, people who exercised vigorously for eight months actually reduced their visceral fat by about 8 percent.

A sedentary lifestyle may not be the only path to a large belly. There's growing evidence that continued stress -- such as dissatisfaction that comes from a high-pressure, low-paying job -- can encourage the buildup of fat around the midsection. When under stress, the body produces hormones such as cortisol that put your entire body on high alert. Among other things, the hormones seem to encourage the buildup of belly fat. In fact, some experts believe that a potbelly might be the body's defense mechanism against stress. Fat cells may actually break down cortisol, giving the rest of the body a slight respite from stress.

No quick fix

A bulge in the belly is a wake-up call. If you can trim down your midsection, you'll go a long way toward preventing the health problems associated with belly fat. A healthy lifestyle can ward off fat from top to bottom, and especially, the middle. When you lose weight, your body will make getting rid of belly fat a top priority. If you manage to lose just 5 to 10 percent of your overall body weight, you can reduce the hazardous layer of belly fat by as much as 30 percent. If stress is a factor in your buildup of fat, incorporating some relaxation techniques may be useful as well.

Unfortunately, if you're concerned about the amount of fat you have around the middle, you won't find peace of mind in a cosmetic surgeon's office. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Klein and colleagues dashed any hopes of a quick fix. The study found that women who had about 30 percent of their body fat suctioned off didn't move any closer to avoiding diabetes or heart disease. Specifically, the procedure didn't lower blood pressure or improve their response to insulin. "We removed billions of fat cells, but we didn't change the size of the fat cells that remained," he says. It's possible, he adds, that it's the size of fat cells -- not their sheer number -- that really has an impact on health.

If you're ready to banish your excess belly fat, schedule an appointment with your doctor. The two of you can come up with the best, healthiest strategy for weight loss. The most successful approaches typically combine a healthy, low-calorie diet that's also low in saturated fat and sugar with regular exercise. As the Duke University study showed, exercise alone can be enough to trim stomach fat.

A perfectly flat stomach may not be within your reach, but a healthier body certainly is.