If you’ve been on a strict diet while others around you are eating their hearts out, if you’ve been hitting the gym on a regular basis, or if you’ve been doing both and still asking yourself the question above, it’s time to take stock of your knowledge of the complex relationships between dieting, exercise, calories and weight loss. If you and a friend weigh the exact same number of pounds, if you both eat the same diet down to the last bite of food and follow the same exercise routine for the same amount of time each day, at the end of six weeks, you would be surprised to find that one of you has lost more weight than the other. And if you’re the kind who has to ask yourself the title question, it’s going to be your friend! So why then do some people lose weight faster than others?
They have a higher metabolic rate. Your metabolism is what helps you burn the calories you consume; the higher it is, the faster your meals are used up as energy and the less there is left to store as fat in your body. There are ways in which you can boost your metabolism – by eating breakfast on a regular basis, by training with weights to build muscle mass and by eating a diet rich in proteins and complex carbohydrates.
They have more muscle mass. The higher your muscle mass, the higher your metabolism. So when your muscles are well developed, you burn more calories and avoid putting on weight. This is exactly why men are more predisposed to losing weight faster than women, because they have more muscles than the fairer sex.
Diets work differently with different people. Simply put, some diets work for you while others don’t. If you find it difficult to lose weight, see a specialist about getting a diet that’s tailored for your body weight and tone.
They don’t starve. If you thought that starvation would make those excess pounds disappear like helium balloons in a wind, think again. Au contraire to popular belief, starving yourself slows down your metabolism; your body is literally holding on to your fat reserves fearing that it’s not going to get any food, it’s main source of energy.
They are misinformed. Some people think that eating more of a good food (one that’s healthy) does not make them fat. But a calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from 1 gram of fat or from 50 grams of protein. The trick to losing weight is to eat less than you burn off in exercise and everyday activities.
This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the subject of Midwife Nursing Degrees. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com
Tags: diet, fat loss, health, lose fat, lose weight, Nutrition, starvation, weight loss
RAmen to the starvation one! I’m tired of people needlessly abusing their bodies. Love yourself people - treat yourself right, and you will be healthy!