Or perhaps this is just something worth discussing....
First-off...I'm going to state outright that I am NOT suggesting that we not weight-lift or try to gain muscle, nor am I suggesting that cardio isn't valuable. We all know how critical both are!!!
You'll constnatly hear how each pound of lean muscle requires calories just to exist on your body...even if not in use. Just a couple years ago we'd hear big numbers like "each pound of additional muscle will burn 80 calories per day even when not being used"....well, those numbers have been dramatically reduced...down to 12-25 calories per day, depending on where that muscle is and other factors. All I know is that my nutritionist said the calorie demand of the additional muscle tissue is MUCH less then science previously indicated. Okay, suffice it so say...more muscle means more calories burned each day...and so the theory goes that you can either eat more OR you will lose weight faster because you essentially have a bigger engine. Great. Makes sense...we're all "there".
Well...after 2 years of long & hard work and fighting every darn ounce to get off my body, I'd like to share something that may seem obvious...but we often neglect to factor that in.
It all falls into the category of "The body attempts to maintain an equillibrium"
Yes, each additional pound of added muscle will burn calories each day....BUT your body is very well aware of this demand and in the same like manner your body will entirely respond to this "bigger engine" by simply increasing the drive & demand for you to eat more calories!!!
Let's face it..smokers don't "need" to smoke...they can just not do it...but our bodies require nutrients; we can't simply stop eating....and so each day we must make decisions and wage a battle against our appetite. You know, appetite, that thing that drives us to eat.
You ever eat a HUGE meal and notice how you have absolutely no interest in eating ANYTHING...even the most delicious stuff in the world falls entirely into the category of "disinterested" when you're totally (almost morbidly) full. And on the flip-side...when you're starving hungry...you just can't get that food into your mouth fast enough. Fact is, our bodies are in more control then we realize: we eat to appease this hunger. Sure, we can exercise discipline and control things...but still, for most of us..each day is a war against our bodies inclination towards consumption.
What I've found is the same holds true for cardio. I've peddled my bike for hours and watched the heart-rate monitor's calorie-counter reach over 2,500 calories. Do you really think the body isn't aware of those calories being burned????? It knows the glycogen has been burned and some fat depleted: it wll entirely compel you to replace those calories...and all too often we over-estimate just how many calories we really burned AND we rationalize that we've done our exercise and deserve it (well, I don't....I just think of the deficit I've created and then estimate how much would be ideal in terms of replacement). It's easy to eat-back the calories we've burned.
And here's the kicker...if you ignore your hunger now...it's still there in 5 minutes, 20 minutes and so-on.
So add muscle...and your body seeks to compensate by increasing the drive for consumption & calories. Do cardio and burn thousands of calories....same thing, you're body will drive you to replace 'em.
In the end, my conclusion is that the cardio will help your circulatory, respiratory and a host of other critical systems...and weights will help tone, build and define your muscular build....BUT in the end, it's the exercise you do with a fork that dictates the body-fat percentage of your body. That doesn't mean you should eat with a spoon or no utensils at all...but the point is, what you put in your mouth, more then anything, is what ultimately dictates the amount of fat on your body!
Learn it, love it, live it.....and if you aren't making progress, put your diet under the microscope! Most people far underestmate their calories! I go out to lunch with my nutrionist every month and we play a game called "count the calories"...and I'm telling you, even he underestimates the calories. There is more calories in food then we imagine and our bodies burn less calories then we'd like to think...and all those little snacks add-up big-time!
So if someone tells you they do everything right and they just can't lose weight (me and my poor metabolism)....don't even give them the time of day unless they keep a food journal. More often then not their "ideal day" is one a couple days a week and the rest of the time their eating more and not factoring-in those snacks and times thet ate-out.
DIET IS EVERYTHING....
First-off...I'm going to state outright that I am NOT suggesting that we not weight-lift or try to gain muscle, nor am I suggesting that cardio isn't valuable. We all know how critical both are!!!
You'll constnatly hear how each pound of lean muscle requires calories just to exist on your body...even if not in use. Just a couple years ago we'd hear big numbers like "each pound of additional muscle will burn 80 calories per day even when not being used"....well, those numbers have been dramatically reduced...down to 12-25 calories per day, depending on where that muscle is and other factors. All I know is that my nutritionist said the calorie demand of the additional muscle tissue is MUCH less then science previously indicated. Okay, suffice it so say...more muscle means more calories burned each day...and so the theory goes that you can either eat more OR you will lose weight faster because you essentially have a bigger engine. Great. Makes sense...we're all "there".
Well...after 2 years of long & hard work and fighting every darn ounce to get off my body, I'd like to share something that may seem obvious...but we often neglect to factor that in.
It all falls into the category of "The body attempts to maintain an equillibrium"
Yes, each additional pound of added muscle will burn calories each day....BUT your body is very well aware of this demand and in the same like manner your body will entirely respond to this "bigger engine" by simply increasing the drive & demand for you to eat more calories!!!
Let's face it..smokers don't "need" to smoke...they can just not do it...but our bodies require nutrients; we can't simply stop eating....and so each day we must make decisions and wage a battle against our appetite. You know, appetite, that thing that drives us to eat.
You ever eat a HUGE meal and notice how you have absolutely no interest in eating ANYTHING...even the most delicious stuff in the world falls entirely into the category of "disinterested" when you're totally (almost morbidly) full. And on the flip-side...when you're starving hungry...you just can't get that food into your mouth fast enough. Fact is, our bodies are in more control then we realize: we eat to appease this hunger. Sure, we can exercise discipline and control things...but still, for most of us..each day is a war against our bodies inclination towards consumption.
What I've found is the same holds true for cardio. I've peddled my bike for hours and watched the heart-rate monitor's calorie-counter reach over 2,500 calories. Do you really think the body isn't aware of those calories being burned????? It knows the glycogen has been burned and some fat depleted: it wll entirely compel you to replace those calories...and all too often we over-estimate just how many calories we really burned AND we rationalize that we've done our exercise and deserve it (well, I don't....I just think of the deficit I've created and then estimate how much would be ideal in terms of replacement). It's easy to eat-back the calories we've burned.
And here's the kicker...if you ignore your hunger now...it's still there in 5 minutes, 20 minutes and so-on.
So add muscle...and your body seeks to compensate by increasing the drive for consumption & calories. Do cardio and burn thousands of calories....same thing, you're body will drive you to replace 'em.
In the end, my conclusion is that the cardio will help your circulatory, respiratory and a host of other critical systems...and weights will help tone, build and define your muscular build....BUT in the end, it's the exercise you do with a fork that dictates the body-fat percentage of your body. That doesn't mean you should eat with a spoon or no utensils at all...but the point is, what you put in your mouth, more then anything, is what ultimately dictates the amount of fat on your body!
Learn it, love it, live it.....and if you aren't making progress, put your diet under the microscope! Most people far underestmate their calories! I go out to lunch with my nutrionist every month and we play a game called "count the calories"...and I'm telling you, even he underestimates the calories. There is more calories in food then we imagine and our bodies burn less calories then we'd like to think...and all those little snacks add-up big-time!
So if someone tells you they do everything right and they just can't lose weight (me and my poor metabolism)....don't even give them the time of day unless they keep a food journal. More often then not their "ideal day" is one a couple days a week and the rest of the time their eating more and not factoring-in those snacks and times thet ate-out.
DIET IS EVERYTHING....
