Breathe easy and burn more fat

PEOPLE commonly say they want to lose weight when in fact they want to lose body fat.

The body has several different fuel sources, including fats and carbohydrates.
To burn fat as a primary source of fuel there needs to be oxygen present. The lower the intensity of exercise (such as walking) the more fat is being burned due to your oxygen intake (or breathing) being greater and more accessible.

In fact, you cannot burn anymore fat as a fuel than when you are relaxed and sitting at rest, much like you are doing right now.

"Why train at all if we are burning more fat doing nothing?’’ I hear the question being asked.

This theory disregards the total amount of calories burnt. If you increase the tempo and intensity of the exercise your breathing will become more rapid, therefore decreasing your oxygen intake and efficiency to burn fat.

This is where carbohydrates start to come into play and take over as the primary fuel source.

At all times we are always burning both carbohydrates and fats; it just depends on the intensity of the exercise as to which one plays the primary role.

At lower intensity, we burn a higher percentage from fat but less calories. At higher intensity, we burn a lesser percentage from fat but more total calories.

The bottom line is to lose fat you must burn more calories and use more than what you eat.

An important point to consider is that it is easier for beginners or people that are weight challenged to train longer at a low intensity, as opposed to short hard sessions.

A good rule of thumb to remember is if the time is set, work at a harder intensity (but one that allows you to finish the workout), or if time is unlimited go slower for longer.

Don’t forget though that the body is a smart piece of work and will not respond to improvement unless pushed that little further or on to the next stage.

This is known as the adaptation effect; for example you start walking and find that you are losing weight and everything is fine yet 10 weeks down the track you reach a plateau and wonder why you are no longer losing weight.

It’s because the body doesn’t find this challenging any more and is waiting for you to go to the next stage.

Instead of walking for 30 minutes straight, trying walk for one minute and then running for 20-30 seconds, then walking for one minute and so on.

The only limitation is your imagination but don’t go like a bull at a gate. This is how injuries occur.

Progression is the key.

To Your Success!