Exercise and Continued Weight Control
Many weight loss attempts start with dietary modifications and cardio exercise such as walking, swimming, cycling and other activities that increase the heart rate through repetitive movements. Exercise is a key component of the post weight loss surgery lifestyle and may be associated lower weight regain. These two elements are incredibly important but alone they will not always prevent some weight regain. Some weight regain is normal. Our bodies are metabolically primed to regain weight.
The set point theory suggests that body weight is regulated at a predetermined level by a feedback control mechanism. There is a control system built into every person dictating how much fat the body should carry. Some people have a how setting, others have a low one. According to this theory, body fat percentage and body weight are a matter of internal controls. This theory explains why repeated dieting is unsuccessful in producing long term change in body weight. The ideal diet seeks to lower the set point. Long term
Dietary modifications and aerobic exercise allow the body to use stored fat as energy, which can result in weight loss. Although these methods are productive in the beginning, they often result in the plateau effect. This is why strength training is so important to long –term weight loss. Increasing fat free mass provides health benefits and ultimately allows people to lose more fat per pound. Fat free mass refers to all the body’s non fat tissue including bone, muscle, organs, and connective tissue. Muscle is the only type of tissue that you have the ability to change. The more muscle mass your body has, the more energy it will demand. In other words, muscles burn more calories (energy) at rest and while engaging in activity. Fat, on the other hand, is mostly energy storage. Body composition, fat versus fat free mass is an important part of maintaining a healthy metabolism, the rate of energy to sustain the body. For weight loss and maintenance, you want to maintain the body’s ability to target fat for energy and resist losing muscle along with it.
When weight loss is achieved by breaking down muscle, your metabolism is negatively affected and a struggle for weight loss begins. Resistance training stimulates communication throughout the central nervous system. Resistance training signals the body to maintain muscle mass. This makes weight loss easier because lean muscle increases total calories burned.
Strength training essentially halts the roller coaster of weight loss and weight gain in its tracks, allowing you to become more than just a person who weighs less but, but a person that can maintain their weight and take the next step into fitness. Maintaining or increasing muscle mass is the key to a healthy body composition and will affect your health in ways cardio exercise and diet cannot!
Related Posts
