The truth behind burning body fat!

While it is true that a higher proportion of calories burned during low-intensity exercise come from fat (about 60 percent as opposed to approximately 35 percent from high-intensity programs), high-intensity exercise still burn more calories from fat in the final analysis. However, if you have 30 minutes to spare and workout at a low to moderate intensity, you will burn approximately 200 calories, and 60% or 120 calories of those will come from fat. If you workout for the same time at a high intensity, you will burn around 400 calories and 35% of them or 140 calories will come from fat. Overall, if you have 30 minutes to spare, it would definitely benefit you to push yourself to the highest level you can go, but in the end, you will burn close to the same number of fat calories.




Top recommendations if you are trying to lose body fat:

• Take part in high intensity interval training- running and biking sprints, or sprints on the elliptical or other cardio machines, and running stairs are great examples.  
• Circuit training on weight machines and with free weights and doing cardio-weights-plyometric circuits. Example=jumping rope for 2 minutes, standing lunges for 1 minute, tricep dips for 1 minute, and plank for 1 minute. Do this cycle 3 times and then switch to another set with different exercises.
• Consuming adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates, protein and fat is important. By consuming nuts, seeds, legumes, brown rice, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and some lean meats,  you will feel fuller longer and meet nutritional requirements.
• Keep a food diary- by writing down everything you eat, you can go on myfoodpyramid.com or any website where you can plug in your foods eaten and figure out your calories. By cutting out a few hundred calories a day of your diet, it will ultimately result in weight loss.

Cutting carbs extensively to lose weight? Think again...


Fats and carbohydrates are the primary fuels for exercise. It is estimated that a person stores between 50,000 to 100,000 kcals of energy in the adipocytes (fat cells). Fat and carbohydrates are oxidized (burned) as a mixture during physical activity, which depends on intensity, duration, level of fitness and diet.


There are various studies that indicate the primary fuel at rest and at low intensity activity is fat from adipose tissue. And fat oxidation is highest at moderate intensity activity such as light jogging. Higher intensity exercise such as running use carbohydrate as the primary fuel.


Low carbohydrate diets result in ketosis and most of the weight loss from these diets is due to water weight loss as each gram of carbohydate holds onto three grams of water. When there are no carbohydrates in the diet, ketones are produced, which are emergency sources of fuel to the brain and muscles. It's important to understand that the calorie restriction on a low carb diet is causing weight loss, not the carbohydrate deficit.


Key points to remember that will help your diet plan:

• Fat metabolism depends on carbohydrate- when carbs are depleted, fat oxidation is not possible.
• Fat is the primary fuel at rest and at low to moderate intensity physical activity levels.
• Fat is not an efficient energy source for exercise.