home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- $Unique_ID{BRK01223}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Beating the Battle of the Scale}
- $Subject{diet weight loss exercise endocrine glands metabolism food lose foods
- fat carbohydrates sugars glycogen nutrition diets loosing exercises gland
- metabolisms fats carbohydrate sugar}
- $Volume{C-26}
- $Log{
- Exercise Increases Metabolism*0003205.scf
- Fat Distribution in the Body*0003401.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- Beating the Battle of the Scale
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- QUESTION: I've read all the books, listened to all my friends and cut back on
- my daily food intake. I still can't lose a pound, and I haven't a clue as to
- why. I am even exercising as if I was a teenager, but still have my middle
- age figure. Is there anything you can tell me? There must be thousands of
- your readers with the same problem. Please help us all.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- ANSWER: There are many letters each week that speak of the same frustration.
- Having been on a diet or two myself over the years, I know how aggravating the
- morning ritual of stepping on an uncooperative scale can be. Though there is
- no escape from the need to reduce calories and increase activity to lose those
- extra pounds, the choice of the foods included in the diet play an important
- role because of the different manner in which our bodies handle fats and
- carbohydrates. The statement by many people that the food goes directly from
- the mouth to the hips is not entirely wrong. The body coverts the fat in food
- into body fat with great ease, particularly when the meal also includes
- carbohydrates or sugars that provide the energy. When sugar enters the
- bloodstream it stimulates the release of insulin, which then activates the
- enzymes which help the passage of fat from the bloodstream into the fat cells.
- Even calorie-burning exercise can't prevent the fat from being stored in this
- way, and once it is in the cells it is very difficult to shed. But
- carbohydrates are stored first as glycogen, much of it in the liver. Although
- the capacity for glycogen storage is limited, the body can expand its capacity
- in individuals who exercise. When the maximum is reached, then the body may
- increase your metabolic rate and burn off additional carbohydrates. It is
- only when these two mechanisms are overburdened by the quantities of
- carbohydrates coming into the system, that conversion to fat takes place. So
- the answer may be to reduce your fat intake to the minimum, and utilize
- carbohydrates to provide the calories you need for energy and work. In
- practical terms, you may eat the potato without the butter, and the pasta
- without the Alfredo! Add a modest portion of protein, maintain a comfortable
- exercise program, stir in a bit more patience, and you have the formula for
- beating the battle of the scale.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-
-