(I posted this in another thread but I thought I'd post it to everyone to help anyone who needs some pointers :-) )
hi ya,
I study science at uni & I know a little about the physiology and just from my reading so maybe this can help you and others who read this with what I've learnt over the years...
Fat doesn't turn to muscle but muscle is the 'furness' in which fat is burnt up. All fat is is excess energy. So if you consume more energy in a day than
what you burn up your body will store this extra energy in the adipose tissue or fat cells in your body. Fat of course surrounds your muscles.. and as you lose weight not only does your muscle mass increase (if you exercise) but the layers of fat covering the muscle also decreases and therefore you start to see the 'tone' in the body shape.
If you build more muscle on your body you will create more 'stations' (called mitochondria) at which the body can burn fat in. This is why strength training is a good idea as it helps improve your overall metabolism by increasing the bodies ability to burn fat - with more stations more fat can be put in the fire.
However an overweight person, like myself, can exercise and exercise doing strength training, 50 situps a day, lift weights over and over and sometimes feel like they are achieving nothing because they sometimes can't see the results, when in fact they are. this is where you have to trust in your imagination and the way you feel! Your body is toning, the only thing is it is covered up by layers of fat so it can't be seen and this is where cardio work comes in. You could do all the sitsups and butt cleches in the world but this will only burn up a minimal amount of fat as these exercises are usually done for a relatively short period and the heart rate is kept low.
That is why a combination of healthy eating, cardio work and strength training is the best way to get healthy, lost excess fat and l feel great.
So it sounds to me that what you are doing is really good. Depending on what you are trying to achieve it really depends. The workout on the exercise bike will build some muscle tone in your legs for sure but will mainly be a cardio workout as their isn't much resistance involved. From my studies and from my own experience here are some pointers on buring that annoying fat.
- exercise 2-3 hrs after a meal (even a snack..ie a small bag of jelly beans or an apple, eat straight after instead) as at this time glucose and insulin levels are low in your blood so your primary source of energy comes from your fat stores. In this way you can burn large amounts of fat.
- fast, strenuous physical activity mainly relies on a 'quick' energy source and your body will use glucose rather than fat stores (ie. such as sprinting to a train etc or running at full speed on a treadmill, powering up stairmasters)
- moderate (ie.slightly puffing but still able to breath, talk well) exercise, especially just brisk walking is excellent but the real 'key' is to do this for as long as possible, the longer the better and 3-4 times a week(or more) for at least 20mins as it takes 15mins to get the fat out of their fat cells as this is a slow process called lipolysis. This is why people often get frustrated because fat can be hard to get off the body but if you keep at it you're on your way to a leaner body. Often people exercise in the morning before breakfast, this is suppose to be the best time as fat can be uses up in great amounts, however I cannot do that as I feel to weak(and usually too tired hehe) then, I'd rather do it 2-3hrs after a meal but maybe you guys can do it! ;-)
- Fat is burnt by oxidization and your body needs a good supply of oxygen to be burnt in this process so don't over do it, get your heart rate up, puff a little but don't punish yourself as fat loss & exercise doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience, it can be quite a rewarding one!
- lifting weights 3-4 times a week and basic strength training helps to have a tones body once all those fat layers are removed and increases your overall ability to burn fat
- A balanced diet as everyone knows is of prime importants but do NOT punish yourself here either because no one is bad, some fat in the diet is important! And most people want take away everyonce in awhile ( ie. I usually have takeaway about once - twice a month, I used to eat chocolate, chips, fatty foods about 2-3 times a week, I count these all as 'takeaway' anything really fattening)
- 20-30grams (for women, more for men I think it's aroun 30-40 for men) of fat eaten a day is about standard for healthy eating..just add it up from the fat lables or make sure you buy low fat foods, low in sugar also is important).
- carbs, protein etc are all important in your diet. Do not cut these out completely. For example Instead of eating a pasta meal at dinner lets say, have it at lunch instead. Eat a large breaky, a medium lunch and a small dinner, with a few snacks (healthy ones, fruit, muslie bar, 40g milkway bars are also a low choccy snack (4 grams of fat) one in couple of days would be fine for that sweet tooth) Chicken is great for protein and can be low fat when cooked in the right way too. Plus it's yum!
- It always good to have some variety in your life but moderation is the key and DO NOT skip meals, as skipping meals will only tell your body to hold onto those fat stores as long as possible to survive the loss of calaries. You will also start to strip muscle instead of fat to get the nutrients that your body is lacking because you missed meals. (ie 6 small meals a day is ideal)
- Drink lots of water, good juices(low in sugar) etc to keep your fluids up and enjoy them, create your own fruit juices
- Most important, the MOST important thing is to keep at it!!! After you've educated yourself in how the body uses fat. Ignore all those FADs and do it right. Healthy eating, exercise and rest. It is time that is the REAL thing here.... Your body will plateu (get stuck, scales won't budge) a few times guarenteed where NOTHING seems to be working, no weight change or you may gain a pound or too. This is NORMAL. As long as you are going for a walk 4 times a week and maybe doing a copule of weights, situps what ever you like 3 times a week, eating 20-30 grams of fat a day and not over doing it you WILL lose fat. In the long run, ie it take about 1 week for me to loose 1kg and I'm in no hurry. This is how my body works, but slowly, it is coming off and I've lost alot of weight in the past too but because I got slack and eat excess amounts of fat I put it back on... it makes sense. This is all it is.
You just have to reverse the cycle, plain and simple, don't rely on the scales too much but stay motivated by thinking of it as each time you exercise (or cut out that takeaway greasy stuff) you take off one tiny layer of that annoying fat! It takes time but we can all do it! We just have to educate ourselves, don't believe the quick fix things out there and do it the way your body works. You will learn alot about your body and yourself! :-) I actually think it's kinda fun!! hehe
Just as a last tid bit, I thought the gals might like this one! hehe and I had to share it. I've found too that your confidence improves heaps! There's a guy I like at my uni and I've always been to shy to actually talk to him, stupid I know over a guy! I'm not a shy person but this guy, well, he made me nervous, I really really like this one. You know how it is! You get that feeling.. it feels so exciting and scary at the same time. Well I braved it the other week, I saw him sitting by himself over by a lake so I went over and said hi. We got talking and made friends, he's realy great. Now at uni he smiles at me all the time and goes out of his way to say hi and goodbye. He gets a bit nervous and jumpy kind of around me and he actually fumbled his words with me the other day! hehe it was so cute. He also looks at me, god in such a way.. you know the way they do! With that intense flirty look. Ohh I'm in heaven and all just because I went and said hi.. It's weird he actually might like me back, sometimes you feel like you don't deserve it because you feel like you're never going to look like those other girls and of course you shouldn't like a guy that thinks like that anyway but you can't help but think that way sometimes but you know what, its been one of the best things I've done for myself in ages and that's how you have to think about it, do it for you, no one else... and in turn other good things will follow :-)
Keep up the excellent work guys & girls!
