Weight Loss Or Fitness: Lean And Fit, Not Thin And Lanky

Weight Loss or Fitness:

What is fitness?

The first step to developing an effective fitness programme and to achieving optimum health, is to understand that fitness and nutrition are two sides of the same coin. A fit body is one that has cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, strength, flexibility and body composition. Most of the time, we fail to consider this and only concentrate on losing weight. But it is important to remember that losing weight and having the right body composition is not the same thing.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

What is body composition?

Body composition is the right proportion of fat and muscle in your body. It defines your health quotient, energetic and free of diseases. But the number we see on our weighing scale can cause confusion. One must understand that body weight is made up of skeletal mass, muscles, organs, water, body fluids and fat mass.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

Understanding Muscle Mass:

In today¡¯s world, with significant improvements in basic technology, body weight is an archaic concept. ?If ?you weigh a lot, do not be alarmed, but if you have a high percentage of fat in your body, then you need to worry. You will also need to build muscle which is heavy/dense compared to fat as it strengthens the body and increases metabolism.

Similarly a seemingly thin body frame with a low body weight should be considered a sign of poor health ONLY if the muscle mass is low. So please understand that irrespective of shape and size what is important is to have less fat mass and more muscle in your body ¨C this is what defines health in very simple terms.

Therefore achieving the right body composition should be the first goal for everyone. The only way to accomplish this goal is by incorporating a good workout and eating healthy food.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

Nutrition and fitness:

We have a lot of information on nutrition, some of which is authentic and some ?just myths. Fad diets with low carbohydrate intake or no protein ingestion leads to muscle loss and an impaired metabolism. One may witness weight loss immediately, but will gain all the weight back as the body is deprived of nutrients.

The three main nutrients the body requires are:

Carbohydrates - the ?first choice of fuel for the body.

Proteins - muscle repair and building.

Fats - reserved energy or a storehouse of energy.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

Understanding Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are the ¡®fuel¡¯ for the body as the body requires them to be able to perform basic physical activities. ?When we cut out carbohydrates, it can slow down the metabolism and we can gain weight. Carbohydrates sources are mainly cereals, fruits, pulses, roots and tubers, underground vegetables like sweet potato, potato and ginger. one¡¯s body in?reserved fuel storage, which forces protein to breakdown for energy.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

Understanding Protein:

Proteins are the building blocks of the body. Our muscle is primarily made of protein; the basic structure of each cell in the body is also made of protein. Protein¡¯s main role is to repair muscles. Primary protein sources are eggs, meat, fish, poultry, soya, dals, pulses, milk, curd and paneer. Sadly, our Indian diets are deficient in proteins. One needs to consume this nutrient adequately to fuel the muscle and increase the body¡¯s metabolism.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

Understanding Fats:

Fats also work as energy givers but they are reserved fuel used only in emergencies.? Burning fat takes more time and effort by the body because it needs to be mobilised all over the body and then broken down.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

Healthy oils:

While carbohydrates and proteins give 4 kcal of energy /1gm, fat gives 9kcal/1 gm, hence one need to understand the functions of each nutrient. Don¡¯t treat fat as a ¡°villain¡± because it insulates our cells against heat loss and acts as a shock absorber. The strategy is to eat the right amount and the right kind of fat. Include good sources of dietary fats like nuts, seeds and monounsaturated fats like rice bran oil or olive oil. Reduce/manage your intake of omega 6 fats as they are available in cereals and pulses in our Indian diets. So a shift from sunflower oil and safflower oil to a rice bran oil will create a balance.

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Weight Loss or Fitness:

Water: is the largest component of our body. It does not give energy but plays an important role in managing the metabolism of our body as it accelerates the transport of nutrients and helps in the smooth functioning of our system. Therefore, don¡¯t ignore this crucial component and stay well-hydrated at all times.

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