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Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy
eating a piece of chocolate cake and wondered how they stay
thin? Part of the reason is that they have a set-point in
their brain that keeps their body fat and weight from varying
that is, until they do something that causes the brain to
change its settings for weight control.
That is what happened when I stopped smoking. After being
slender all my life, I quit cigarettes and gained almost 25
pounds! I had unknowingly triggered a reaction that changed
a weight control mechanism in my brain. My body began making
fat out of everything I ate, where it formerly eliminated
excess calories. (Quitting nicotine is only one of many life
changes that can cause your brain's bodyweight controls to
be adjusted upward.)
I'll refer to the weight controller in your brain as the 'set-point.'
A good image for understanding how the setpoint works is to
think of the thermostat for heating and cooling your house.
If the temperature is set at 70 degrees, then the room's warmth
doesn't change by more than a degree or two before the thermostat
tells the air conditioner to cool it down, or the furnace
to heat it up.
Your brain's set-point functions similarly, maintaining a
consistent weight and fat level through interactions of hormones,
etc. Exploring the body's chemistry is beyond this article's
scope. It's sufficient to understand that if your weight has
increased (or decreased), it's because the set-point in your
brain changed. And so, if you prefer to lose (or re-gain)
that weight, specific habits are necessary to adjust the set-point
to your desired level.
First, eat the right stuff. This is not hard if you follow
these simple guidelines: a) minimize sugar and flour based
foods (refined carbohydrates); b) eat less animal fat, like
butter, cheese, marbled meat, and eat less fat in general~
but don't use low-fat products like low-fat mayonnaise, because
the chemicals they have to use to make this stuff palatable
is hard for your body to process; just use real mayonnaise,
only less of it; c) eat complex carbohydrates like vegetables,
fruits and whole grains, which your body recognizes as normal
foods and will process them as fuel, giving you long-term
energy.
Second, Drink water. It is necessary to your metabolism and
helps your body eliminate toxins and other excesses. Sweetened
juice, coffee, tea, diet or regular soda, and alcohol don't
contribute to good metabolism or health. Keep use of them
minimal, if at all.
Third, do the right kind of rhythmic large muscle exercise
daily, and sustain it for 30 to 60 minutes. If this sounds
like a lot of time, ask yourself, how important is it to you
to be healthy and/or lose weight? You're not going to re-set
your brain's weight regulator (the set-point) without exercise
- it's that simple. But the exercise can be a pleasure once
you understand which types to do. Fortunately, your not faced
here with push-ups or lifting weights.
In terms of the exercise that will affect your set-point,
'large muscle' means especially using your legs. Walking is
the perfect place to start because you don't need special
skills or equipment. You can also bike or swim or jog. Whatever
you enjoy. 'Rhythmic' means something you can do steadily,
repetitively. 'Sustained' means without stopping: continuous.
Thirty minutes is a minimum. Work up to an hour for best results.
Get your heart rate up to the level where you are exerting
yourself, but could still carry on a conversation. More than
that level, and you're not into set-point changing exercise
anymore. Here, no pain no gain is an undesirable approach.
If you make a habit of these three things, (eating, drinking
and exercising the right way), your set-point will change.
You'll lose weight. By adopting these habits, I shed the 25
pounds I had gained when I quit smoking. In the process, I
developed some pleasant behaviors that have improved my overall
health as well as the quality of my life. It's an enjoyable
lifestyle to eat tasty whole foods, have the pleasure of a
daily walk, and quench thirst with pure water. I feel good
these days, and being slender is a nice bonus. You'll feel
good, too when you adopt these habits. Your body will thank
you, and bless you with glowing health.
Articles by Serena Harstad
All About Nutrition News - http://aanutrition.com
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