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5 tips to keep it simple but effective
By admin | July 8, 2010
There is an old proverb that says that “it is easier to tear down a house than to build it up” and although that may be the case majority of the time, if that house is your body and the construction material is fat-the opposite is true. We all know just how hard it is to lose weight but what a lot of people aren’t aware of is just how easy it is to gain or retain weight. The friendly guru’s at ShapeUpAmerica are here to help so don’t start panicking, as we have collected 5 sneaky little behaviors or ways that are contributing to your inability to wear those pants you keep trying on.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Your body has this handy little hormone that it secretes through the adrenal glands known as Cortisol. Now cortisol can have its beneficial effects, such as increased immunity and momentary bursts in metabolism and energy among other things but on the flip side it can also make you and keep you fat due to stress. When you are stressed out Cortisol turns into your worst enemy as it can cause deep plunges in metabolism, cravings for fatty, sugary and salty foods, as well as a higher chance of abdominal fat storage. In other words, stress causes you to eat bad food, prevents you from burning it, and then conveniently stores it in the worst place possible-your abdomen.
Eating Makes You Skinny
I know this sounds paradoxical in nature but ironically it is true to an extent. Your body is a stickler for daily routines so when you alter your eating habits or outright skip a meal it makes your body cranky. It is imperative that you eat throughout the day albeit wisely utilizing healthy filling meals and snacks. Did you know that following a meal, your metabolism increases by upwards of 30% for two hours following that meal? This is one of the main reasons you shouldn’t skip breakfast as it is that first meal of the day that kick starts your metabolism for the day. So don’t forget to eat regularly so as to keep your body happy and your metabolism running efficiently.
Drinking Fruit Juice Isn’t the Same as Eating Fruit
Naturally one would assume that if eating fruit is good for you, then drinking it must be just as good for you right? Wrong. Fruit juices are notorious for containing insane amounts of fructose, a substance that contains a lot of calories and also prevents your body from feeling full when you eat. Our brain has a disconnect when it comes to liquid calories as it doesn’t realize that whether it’s a 16 oz cup of concentrated orange juice or a ham sandwich, you are still getting the same amount of calories and subsequently these liquid calories fail to satisfy the hunger receptors in your brain that are looking for caloric energy. With that being said, instead of opting for that apple or orange juice that is actually mainly concentrated fruit juice and filtered water, get the real thing! Bite into an actual apple or orange as they both supply the body with copious amounts of much needed nutrients while simultaneously calming hunger cravings.
Lay Off the Booze
Alcohol makes you fat, plain and simple. Just as we stated in tip 3, your brain doesn’t respond well to liquid calories, so those 175 calories that are in your 12 ounce beer end up causing all kinds of problems. For instance, when you consume alcohol, your body actually takes some of the calories and turns them directly into fat and then the liver turns the rest of the calories into a compound known as acetate, which it then pumps into the bloodstream to be used as energy. The problem here is that although your body is burning those calories it turned into acetate; it stored those other calories as fat and doesn’t plan on using them anytime soon. To make things worse, some people carry a gene that causes alcohol to be stored as belly fat regardless of whether or not you eat healthy and work out.
Air Conditioning
Yes, I said air conditioning. Believe it or not, being comfortable is keeping you fat as just like your house-your body has mechanisms for keeping you comfortable. When you are hot your body will perspire to cool you down and when you are cold it will raise your metabolism and twitch some muscles to warm you up. So when you keep your AC or heat at that “perfect temperature” you are actually preventing your body from needing to regulate itself and in essence losing out on some free burned calories. In the winter, drop the temperature down a degree or two less than normal and I promise you that your body will compensate and the same is true with the AC in the summer as your body is very good at adapting.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, 5 ways that you are unknowingly either packing on pounds or retaining them. Heed the advice in this article and you will have an easier time dropping those extra pounds you accumulated by being stressed out, intoxicated, and comfortable at home.
Topics: Fitness, Nutrition | 1 Comment »
July 8th, 2010 at 6:47 am
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