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Fat Burning - Is Fat A Friend Or Enemy?
Those looking to lose weight are trying their hardest to burn fat. So they do everything in their power to boost metabolism and burn as much fat as possible. Is this the right thing to do? Let's find out.
It is easy to think of fat as the enemy because we all know that having excess fat can trigger all sorts of health problems. Many of these illnesses are related to the heart. For those who are severely overweight, their life may even be in danger. Clogged arteries may prevent blood and oxygen from reaching the heart and this may lead to shortness of breath and in severe cases - heart attack.
Since such conditions can cause tremendous suffering, people are reminded to exercise and keep fit so that such illnesses can be kept at bay. Unfortunately, we all kept constant reminders from the media all the time - newspapers, television, and in recent years, from the Internet. The primary message - fat is BAD, and thin is good.
On top of the health benefits, looking slim and thin has always been portrayed to be the picture of health. Everyone wants to look good. So they do their best to starve themselves when they want to lose some weight. Some have gone to the extreme and develop eating disorders known as Anorexia Nervosa (fear of eating in order to maintain body weight). Those who suffer from this condition often suffer from depression and fatigue. People have even been known to die from it. The main cause - malnutrition due to poor eating habits.
As a result, many people actually WANT to lose weight and look slim and healthy. Fat is perceived to be the enemy.
This is a grave mistake because in truth, fat is NOT the enemy. In fact, having a low amount of fat in the body can be hazardous to health. Those who are involved in sports face a higher risk of injury. They also experience decreased performance due to having a low amount of fat in their body. Why is that?
This is because fat is actually our body's energy reserves. The body keeps a reserve of energy so that it can tap into this valuable energy source due to prolonged periods of activities. When the reserves run out, that is when injuries start to occur. The body simply doesn't have the energy to handle the workload anymore. Something has to give sooner or later.
Note that endurance type exercises such as long distance running or cycling draws on the body's reserves very quickly. In fact, elite cyclists and runners tend to worry about lower bone density - i.e. the bone is becoming weaker. Resistance training is therefore encouraged to help build up bone density. But this situation usually only apply to hardcore athletes. For the average individual, they have no need to perform at peak and can therefore afford to keep a higher percentage of body fat.
So if you are exercising for leisure or just to keep fit, this is the recommended approach. Burning fat is good, but not ALL of it. Think of your body as a car. Your car needs fuel to run. And food is fuel. If you eat too little, you will have little energy to travel. So you build up some reserves. But if you eat too much, the excessive reserves will weigh you down and cause problems.
This leads us to the question: So how much fat is enough?
Professional bodybuilders can burn up their reserves very quickly due to the intensity of their weight training. Hence the ripped look. However, note that they don't stay in this condition all the time. They only get to 4 to 5% body fat during competition time. After that, their body fat percentage goes back up to 9 or 10%.
For someone who is still healthy but doesn't workout, the body fat percentage should hover around 20%. Females have a slightly higher body fat percentage. This figure can increase if you lead a sedentary lifestyle and have poor eating habits.
For instance, if you find that you have been eating too much lately, and your body starts to put on more fat, then perhaps it's time to consider cutting back or working out more to burn off the excess.
It's all about maintaining a healthy balance. So again, stop seeing fat as the enemy. It is not. Some fat in the body is actually good for you.
That means you should stop trying to look like those fitness models on magazine covers without a shred of fat on them. The true picture of health, is someone with lean muscle mass and a healthy amount of fat. A good figure to aim for is 15 to 20% fat for men (plus 2 to 3% for women).
In fact, I encourage you not to take my word on this. You can easily test this out on your own. Compare how you feel when you are at 15% body fat versus 10% (or lower) body fat. Most likely, you will feel a lot more energetic and you won't tire out as easily.
Those with a healthy amount of energy reserves in their body can enjoy sports activities for a longer duration. They also have lower risks of injury. This is the perfect situation for anyone looking to exercise just for fitness and recreational purposes.
Hardcore athletes will find that such high figures are unacceptable. In fact, they can't even build on their fat reserves even if they wanted to because of the intensity of their training. That is perfectly alright because different people have different goals. If you are a bodybuilder or a competitive athlete, you may wish to shape your body in a different manner. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve.
But for the majority, having a healthy amount of body fat in the body is the wise thing to do.
