How Can We Decrease the Size of our Fat Cells?
Unfortunately, if we are consuming more calories than we are expending our fat cells will get bigger and bigger. Although fat cells do not generally divide and increase in numbers, if we eat excessively and gain a significant amount of weight (40–50 pounds) then our fat cells will get bigger and divide and it is likely that the body fat gained at this time will pose more of a problem to shift. While this may seem depressing it helps explain why sometimes we look at friends and they appear to have dropped the weight effortlessly, while our own efforts seem to require a lot more persistence. Appreciating this will allow you to approach your diet plan with a realistic picture of what you can achieve long-term.
The most effective way to decrease the size of your fat cells is to reduce your weekly intake of calories. Obviously this can be achieved through diet alone, but it is far more effective—and easier—to use a combination of sensible nutrition and physical activity. For fat cells to get smaller we need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week. At first sight this figure can appear alarming, however the trick to effective body fat loss is to ensure that the calorie deficit is achieved slowly and consistently. Spreading the 3,500 over seven days means you are aiming for a decrease of 500 calories each day from your normal daily calorie range. If you split these 500 calories between the nutritional strategies in Carb Curfew and physical activities, the figure becomes a lot more manageable. Incorporating exercise into your routine (whether this involves walking instead of taking the car or fitting in regular sessions at the gym) will go a long way towards helping you achieve your goal.
Ways to Save 500 Calories a Day
Why Do We Gain Weight Faster As We Get Older?
As we get older we actually start to lay down more body fat. This is due to several factors:
1. Metabolic rate
After the age of 30 if we are inactive we actually start to lose muscle mass at a rate of 1/3–½ pound every two years. So if you weighed 10 stone at the age of 20 and you still weigh 10 stone at the age of 50, yet you have gone up two clothes sizes and you do not exercise – quite simply, you have lost muscle mass and gained body fat. As the body fat takes up more space, your clothes become tighter and your clothes size goes up. Muscle is metabolically active, which means that it burns calories. So if we start to lose muscle mass we actually require less calories to do our everyday tasks. Long-term this means we can potentially be consuming the same number of calories at the age of 20 as at the age of 50 but when we are 50 these calories are not burnt off and we are more prone to laying down body fat. This puts our health at risk and we become frustrated with our shape.
2. Hormones
As women start to approach the menopause we enter a stage known as peri menopause – at this time there is a change in our hormones, which may actually encourage our bodies to lay down more body fat.
3. Stress
Yes, stress does make us fat! When we are experiencing long periods of chronic stress such as overwork, or emotional stresses such as a loss of a partner or moving home, there is a change in our metabolism that encourages increased secretion of the hormone Cortisol. If this is left unchecked for long periods of time it encourages body fat to be laid down around our midriffs. Research has shown that storing body fat here actually puts us at a greater risk of heart disease.
Whilst this all may seem a little depressing, the best possible course of action you can take is also the most accessible and cheapest – get active! Increasing your level of physical activity has both a positive and immediate impact on your health and ability to control your weight.
Why Do Some People Lose Body Fat Faster Than Others?
Not everyone will lose weight and body fat at the same rate. We are all different, and there are several factors that can affect our rate of weight and body fat loss.
These include:
1. Your existing metabolic rate
2. Your dieting history
3. Your exercise history
4. Your existing eating patterns
5. Your existing activity patterns
1. Your Existing Metabolic Rate
As we have just discussed, our muscle mass starts to decrease as we get older and our metabolic rate tends to slow down, which means we burn fewer calories. Imagine you are 20 years old and you are sitting in a chair, and now imagine you are 50 years old sitting in a chair. Even though you are doing exactly the same everyday activity, if you have not kept up your muscle mass between the ages of 20 and 50 you will be burning less calories sitting still at the age of 50 than sitting still at the age of 20.
2. Your Dieting History
If you are a seasoned dieter and you religiously try every diet on the market and have experienced weight gain/weight loss again and again – long-term it will be harder to lose weight effectively. You may already have experienced this. For example, every January you may have a favourite deprivation diet that gives you great results – well, it did the first couple of times you did it and now you are experiencing frustration as the scales are not giving you the results you want. This is because as the body is continually put through phases of excess and deficit there comes a time when our metabolism may stop working effectively and instead of losing weight we can actually increase the amount of body fat we have. To counteract this you need to stabilize you calorie and fat intake now. Chapter six will show you how to be consistent with your nutrient intake.
3. Your Exercise History
To lose weight and body fat you need to exercise regularly. If you were active when you were younger you will be at an advantage as muscles have a memory—this means that even if you are not exercising now the muscles will be able to respond more effectively and quickly to exercise once you do start. But even if you were not active when you were younger, it is never too late to start. Becoming active now and staying active will help you realize your fat loss goals as well as have an immediate protective effect on your health.
4. Your Existing Eating Patterns
Quite simply, the more erratic our eating patterns the harder it is to lose weight, and the longer you have had erratic eating patterns the more frustration you are likely to experience trying to lose weight. The body actually balances itself out over seven to eight days; however, in those seven to eight days if you have overeaten one day and then starved yourself the next in an attempt to make up for the excesses, the body will rebel and you will not lose weight and body fat.
To lose body fat, and for us to actually see a difference in the shape of our bodies, we need to eat a healthy and balanced diet and be consistent about it. Start