Increasing Up The Metabolic Rate
One of the most significant discoveries I made from my weight management medical research, by using the Body-Profile Type Approach, that it is possible to increase person’s metabolic rate. This is a significant breakthrough, as most repeat dieters get caught up in a progressive low caloric intake trap, leading to low calorie dieter’s syndrome.
With the Body-Profile Type Approach the repeat dieter can actually be “rescued” from their low calorie existence, and get their calorie burning metabolic rate increased to a normal healthy level. So, when they begin to lose the excess body fat, the amount of calories their body uses for energy will be increased to a higher rate. This will enable the repeat dieter to eat more food during the weight loss phase, and finally be able to consume a normal caloric intake during their weight maintenance phase. (Refer to the above chart for a graphical depiction of what happens when people follow a low calorie diet, and how the Body-Profile Type Approach maintains an already high metabolic rate and elevates a dieter’s low metabolic rate.)
The Hormone Balancing Act
Based on a combination of factors, including body composition, diet, exercise, and history of weight loss and weight gain, there are several hormonal issues that also need to be addressed for successful fat loss, promotion of good health and longevity. It is important to emphasize that most obese people have hormonal imbalance issues that increase their appetite, decrease their metabolic rate, and promote fat storage. Tragically when an obese person follows a generic low calorie diet and exercise program, this will actually exacerbate the problem, or even cause these problems.
In general, the high levels of insulin, leptin, resistin, and active endocannaboid system will activate the obesity genes, which causes the body to store body fat at a greater rate, and prevents the usage of stored body fat for energy. Combined with low levels of the hormones adiponectin and ghrelin, the body’s calorie expenditure rate is lowered, and appetite is increased, so people eat more food, and use fewer calories for energy, a classic imbalance that leads to gaining excess body fat.
The Body-Profile Type individualized nutrition and exercise programs will address these hormonal imbalance issues. As the chart below illustrates, when hormone balance is restored from following an individualized nutrition and exercise program, body fat levels are automatically reduced, appetite control is restored, and weigh maintenance is then made possible. Weight loss caused by following a too low calorie diet, does not correct the hormonal imbalance of the obese individual, so this uncorrected hormonal imbalance will cause them to quickly regain the weight that they lost.
Body Fat and Hormone Balancing
Another significant aspect regarding body fat is the relationship between the amount of body fat and hormonal function. As a person’s body fat stores increase, the body fat itself starts to influence hormone production and balance. Body fat even has the ability to produce a key hormone, as well as disrupt the levels of other hormones involved in fat storage and metabolism. As body fat levels increase to the level of obesity, this actually makes the body better at storing body fat, and impairs the body’s ability to use fat for energy. These special medical issues associated with body fat levels, require special dietary and exercise programs, which the Body-Profile Type Approach accomplishes.
The following table presents a summary of the major weight gain causing factors that the Body-Profile Type Approach is designed to resolve for promotion of quality weight loss (fat loss) and weight maintenance goals.
Gender
When it comes to weight loss and weight maintenance, on a pound for pound body weight basis, the approach for men and women is almost identical. However there are some key differences that need to be addressed regarding minor, but important food composition and eating behavior dynamics that need to be considered for fat loss success. For example, appetite in men and women are triggered differently. Also, women crave certain types of foods, and these foods need to be in a woman’s nutrition program for success, but, ironically the popular low diets often exclude these essential foods. Additionally, when it comes to exercise, there are some key differences that need to be included in the program, in particular regarding resistance training type exercise. These differences will be elaborated upon in subsequent chapters.
Exercise
When it comes to healthy fat loss and weight maintenance, exercise can be a double edge sword if it is not done correctly. Not enough exercise, or two much exercise causes hormonal imbalances. The correct type of exercise is also of vital importance for the best results. The Body-Profile Type exercise programs are based on what is best for hormonal balance, improving the metabolic rate, and increasing fat calorie burning. This approach will selectively reduce body fat while maintaining or even building healthy lean body mass. The Body-Profile Type exercise approach prescribes short daily exercise sessions, 15 to 45 minutes duration, that alternate aerobic exercises and easy to perform resistive type exercises.
Furthermore, the Body-Profile Type exercise approach has a beginner’s entry level exercise program that best suits the majority of obese people who are under-exercisers. This entry level program was designed by me based on easing obese people in to a practical daily exercise program so they can easily perform the exercises and slowly work their way up to the ideal exercise program that improves loss of body fat, promotes hormonal balance, maintains or builds lean body mass, and is healthy for longevity and disease prevention. In addition to the other unique aspects of the Body-Profile Type approach, the integration of the individualized nutrition and exercise programs goes beyond conventional hit or miss one-size-fits-all approaches.
Key Points About Exercise
Beneficial Effects of “Proper” Exercise
•Increases skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation, i.e., uses more fat for energy.
•Weight loss without exercise does not increase this fat utilization, and diminishes basal energy expenditure.
•Aerobic exercise in obese people will restore body calorie burning capacity of the body by improving both resting rate of fat oxidation and the body uses more fat for energy.
•Resistive exercise expends calories and also builds body tissues, like muscle and bone, and builds functional strength.
•Increases growth hormone, testosterone, and adiponectin.
•Decreases insulin and glucose levels.
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Negative Effects of “Excessive” Exercise
•Increases cortisol, which is a stress hormone that causes more body fat storage in the body when present in chronically higher levels
•Neuro Peptide Y increases, which increases your appetite and decreases fat utilization.
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More information about these exercise related topics can be found in Chapter 17.
CHAPTER 3
OVERVIEW OF THE BODY-PROFILE TYPE EVALUATION
Here is an overview of the Body-Profile Type evaluation that will be detailed in Chapter 6. Each step of the Body Profile Type evaluation provides important information about