How Fat Loss Really Works

Fat-Loss.

The other day I had a client ask me how fat loss worked. The steps, processes, basically the whole enchilada. I found myself tongued tied because I never really explained it in laymen terms.

So here you go.

Your body turns greedy when you want to lose fat---fat is stored energy in the body waiting to be Used. Let's keep things simple. Your body runs off 3 types of energy systems: Lite, Medium, and Fast.

Lite- is the most optimal state of fat burning. Keeping your body in this zone will get you to burn the most calories from fat. Think of this zone as cruise control or doing steady-state cardio. Low intensity and low impact.

Medium- falls in the middle and burns both fat and carbohydrate for fuel. This switch of energy use is based on the demand of the activity. A "stop-and-go" like approach burns fat on the low end of the physical demand and carbohydrates are used on the higher. Hiking, hockey, and recreational basketball are prime examples of using both energy systems.

Fast- is your immediate source of explosive energy. This gear is immediately activated when you are in danger of being chased by a lion. You have a very limited supply but is your bodies most explosive force output. Muscle toning in the gym uses Fast energy system.

The most common use of energy for fat loss is Lite. Hang in there people, here comes the good stuff.

At first glance, the Lite will seem logical for fat loss. Well... it's not! It is often assumed that the more cardio endured the better. The more you sweat, the longer you run, the more fat you are burning. Sounds great right?

Steady-state cardio--- muscles steadily recruited over a prolonged period of time without any change in intensity.



The key words here are steady and prolonged.

Your body isn't wasteful. It keeps what it has in abundance and gets rid whatever it doesn't use. Steady-state cardio lacks musculetal innervation. Over long periods of training your body goes into a "stand still"--- a state in which your body declines from burning fat for fuel and fat burning enzymes cease to assist you. This so happens because cardio is the poorest muscle tone contributor. Even though your goal is fat loss, your body runs optimally carrying lean muscle. Muscle is totally expensive. You have eat to support the growth but the best part is muscle tone burns tons of fat during both at rest and during exercise!

Sorry to disappoint you, but this is how fat loss works. Cardio has the weakest stimulus, the worst EPOC (afterburn effect), and has few fat burning enzymes at work.

Stay tuned for more Fat-Loss tips to come.