Fat facts

I can remember a time when people used to talk about how muscle 'turned into fat' if you didn't use it. That, along with 'spot reduction' (the idea that you can lose fat from a region of the body by exercising that region) has generally been consigned to the 'myth' category. Most people now know that fat and muscle are separate entities. And millions of abdominal crunches will burn calories, but not specifically from your tummy.

However, there is still a huge amount of ignorance about how the human body stores, uses and loses fat.

Human body fat is stored inside fat cells in a compound called triaglycerol. An average young male stores about 100,000 calories of energy in this way, and assuming he consumes the same amount of energy as he expends, that's the way it will stay.

If the little men in your body notice that you're eating less calories than you are burning, they instruct hormones and enzymes (just stupid, technical names for even littler men) that start a process called hydrolysis (or lipolysis).

This process splits the molecule of triaglycerol into glycerol and free fatty acids (FFAs). An enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase is the catalyst for this reaction.

The stored fat gets released into the bloodstream as FFAs and they are shuttled to the muscles where the energy is needed. An enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) then helps the FFAs get inside the mitochondria of the muscle cell, where the FFAs are employed in a complex sequence of energy-releasing chemical reactions.

Fat cells never disappear. When FFA’s are released from a fat cell, the fat cell shrinks, but remains there waiting to be replenished. Women carry more fat cells than men. And recent research has demonstrated that fat cells can increase both in size and in number.

They are more likely to increase during late childhood and early puberty, pregnancy and when extreme amounts of weight are gained.

An infant has about 6 billion fat cells. This number increases during early childhood and puberty. A healthy adult with normal body composition has about 30 billion fat cells. In the case of severe obesity, this number can be as high as 300 billion.
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Mix it up

Next time you are at a friend's house, browse their CD collection for albums by artists you've never heard of, ask if you can borrow them, and (assuming the answer isn't "Not until you bring me the last lot back") give them a listen.

If your friend keeps their music collection on iTunes, get them to make you a 'mix-CD' of their favourite songs.

If you have no friends, acquaintances or life-long enemies will have to suffice.
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Getting organised #5

Time passes at the same rate for each of us, one precious second at a time. Most of us wish we had more time to do the things we want to do. So it makes sense to do the stuff that we have to do in as little time as possible.

For most of us, each day includes hundreds of tasks. Gaining a better understanding of how to deal with them can pay huge dividends.

So, when I wake up in the morning, I stumble downstairs and turn Kermit (my lime green espresso machine) on. While that is warming up, I put milk in a cup, and get the coffee pod ready (immediately returning the milk to the fridge, and putting the coffee pod wrapper in the bin, natch).

If the coffee machine is still not up to temperature, I put away cutlery that I washed up the night before, sort out recycling bins, tidy the worktop... until it is. I then add espresso to the cup, and put the cup in the microwave for 50 seconds. During that time I remove and bin the spent coffee pod, flush the machine through with fresh water, top up Kermit's water reservoir and get a protein bar from the cupboard.

If this is all painfully obvious to you, I'm really sorry. However, I know that a lot of people don't use the 'dead times' that occur during other tasks. By exploiting these times, things stay 'tidy' and 'done', the 'where is that...?' moments are avoided, and the extended tidying sessions are reduced.
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Cycling

ADVANTAGES:

- excellent cardio-vascular exercise.

- just need a bicycle and a road.

- can be included with 'real-life' activities, as transport to work/shops.


DISADVANTAGES:

- can put strain on knees and lower back

- weather-dependent for all but the most hardy

- risk of injury from motor vehicles

- doesn't exercise upper body
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Swimming

ADVANTAGES:

- Employs all the major muscle groups.

- Improves cardio-vascular endurance.

- Kind to joints and connective tissues.

- Not weather-dependent (if using an indoor pool)


DISADVANTAGES:

- Doesn't develop 'posture' musculature.

- Requires access to a suitable swimming pool.

- One word, 'elastoplasts'.

- There is some evidence that swimming encourages the body to increase its fat levels.


If you are going to do swimming as part of your exercise programme, find a pool that provides lane swimming facilities. Set yourself an amount of time (say 20 minutes), and swim laps at a constant pace until too tired to swim with good style.

Rest for a couple of minutes, then repeat the process. As you progress, work on swimming faster, and for longer. 30-40 minutes, 3 times a week, will maintain your cardio-vascular fitness at a good level.
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Using a heart rate monitor

The first accurate wireless heart rate monitor was invented by Polar Electro in 1977 as a training tool for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team. 30 years later, heart rate monitors are used by the majority of serious athletes in a wide range of sports.

A typical sports heart rate monitor consists of a chest strap containing electrodes that contact the skin and detect the tiny electrical signals produced by the heart. When a heart beat is detected a radio signal is sent out to a receiver (usually wrist-mounted) which calculates and displays the current heart rate.

If you are engaged (or plan to engage) in regular cardio-vascular exercise (running, swimming, stepper machines, rowing etc...) a heart rate monitor will help you make sure you are exercising at the optimum intensity for the goals you are seeking to achieve.

Commonly quoted heart rate zones are:

Maintain Healthy Heart: 50-60%

Weight Management: 60-70%

Increase Stamina: 70-80%

Serious athlete: 80-90%

Elite athlete: 90-100%

There are a number of ways of calculating your personal heart rate zones, the simplest one is

223 - your age

However, this can be out by as much as 15 beats per minute.

A more accurate formula is:

205.8 − (0.685 x age)

This is accurate within 6 beats per minute, which is plenty good enough to get you started (I'll outline a more accurate method in a later blog).

Cardio-vascular fitness relies on you keeping your heart beating at an elevated rate for over 20 minutes. If your heart isn't beating fast enough, you won't be getting any benefit. If it is beating too fast, your body will grind, puffing and wheezing to a halt, and if this happens too quickly, your cardio-vascular system won't benefit.

Using a heart rate monitor aids my training in a number of ways:

1. It lets me know when I'm exercising too hard. Once I see the numbers going above a certain level, I can slow down, or even stop, without being worried that I'm cheating. It has helped me not hate running, allowing me to exercise at a much lower (and yet still beneficial) level.

2. Exercise can be monotonous. Having a heart rate monitor allows you to vary the intensity of your sessions in a manageable and quantifiable manner.

3. It lets me know when I've rested for long enough. When the numbers go below a certain figure, I know I've got to up the pace.

Heart rate monitors are available from a wide range of retailers, including Amazon and Argos, from around £25 upwards. Don't buy one that doesn't employ a chest strap, they are unlikely to be accurate. The more expensive devices will have more features and functions, but won't be any better at monitoring your heart rate.

In a future blog I'll explain how you can use a heart rate monitor to measure improvements in cardio-vascular fitness.
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Running

ADVANTAGES:

- Can be done just about anywhere.

- Only essential equipment is loose clothing and a good pair of shoes (see end of article)

- Stresses the bones of the lower body, stimulating them to retain minerals.

- Stimulates the cardiovascular and muscular systems.

- Employs the large leg muscle groups, stimulating calorie consumption.


DISADVANTAGES:

- Can cause injuries to ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.

- Can overstress the front region of the lower leg, causing connective tissue irritation (shin-splints).

- Doesn't exercise the upper body much.

- Weather-dependent (for all but the most committed!).

- Not suited to (warning, scientific term approaching) 'big boned' people.


OBTAINING RUNNING SHOES

Budget to pay between £60 and £80 for a decent pair of running shoes.

The majority of training shoes are not suitable for running in. In fact, the majority of training shoes are not suitable for walking in.

Buy your running shoes from a shop where 'proper' runners go to buy their shoes. An easy way to find out if the people at the shop know their stuff is to ask them to check if you pronate or supinate. Someone who knows about running will oblige. If they burst out laughing, go somewhere else!

A pronated foot rolls inwards at the ankle, the midfoot bulges inwards and the longitudinal arch flattens. Those who over-pronate generally have flexible joints, so need running shoes that give a high level of support - a firmer anti-pronation post on the inside of the midsole; a firm or dual density midsole; and a a firm heel counter.

A supinated foot rolls outwards at the ankle and has a high arch. They tend to be more rigid and are poor at absorbing shock, so they will need running shoes with a lot of cushioning. Cushioned shoes tend to be poor at motion control.

Shop in the later part of the afternoon - that's when your feet are largest, and feet swell when running.

Modern running shoes should feel comfortable from the moment you try them on, they don't need 'breaking in', so if they feel uncomfortable, try another brand/style.

Wear the same kind of socks you plan to wear when running. The shoes will provide the padding, so don't assume you need to wear thick sports socks.

Running shoes last about 1000km before their padding/support breaks down. Keep a note of your progress, and replace your shoes regularly, your joints will thank you for it.


ONE LAST THING:
If you are planning on running regularly, my advice would be to invest in a heart rate monitor. More about this on the next blog.
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Calorie bible

Want to know the nutritional content of just about anything? This book will help.

It contains information on a wide range of foods, both fresh and processed, including calories, fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Available from Amazon.co.uk for £6.49
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Eggs

Eggs are a nutrient-rich, affordable contributor to a healthy diet. Not only do eggs contain the highest quality source of protein available but they also contain a large percentage of the vitamins and minerals required by humans (vitamin C being the most notable exception).

Egg protein is of such high quality that it is used as the standard by which other proteins are compared. Eggs have a biological value of 93.7%. Milk = 84.5%, Fish = 76%, Beef = 74.3%.

White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in taste or nutrition between white and brown eggs.

The stringy piece of material in the egg is not an embryo but a protein called chalazae which acts as a shock absorber for the yolk, helping to prevent it bursting.

Eggs are placed in their cartons large end up to keep the air cell in place and the yolk centered.

Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator.

If refrigerated, eggs can be safely stored for 4-5 weeks beyond the sell-by date.
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Setting goals

"The person who aims at nothing, usually reaches their goal"

Most of us start our lives with the majority of things being planned for us. Our parents provide for us, cook our meals, and choose our holidays. As we move through the educational system, we begin to make choices over what we are going to specialise in. And eventually we seek gainful employment.

However, the majority of people 'drift' through their lives. There is nothing wrong with this, except that a lot of people go around with a deep dissatisfaction that their lives seem to have little structure or purpose. And Clever People Who Research This Kind Of Stuff (CPWRTKOS) tell us that people whose lives have structure and purpose are generally 'happy' people.

Why not spend some time setting some (reasonable) goals for yourself?

Oh, and 'being happy' or 'getting rich' are not goals, they are fantasies. A goal is a specific, measurable thing.

Give quantities, numbers, dates, and times to your aims. Make sure that each of your goals is measurable.

Committing your goals to writing is important. It helps focus your thoughts, and gives you the ability to check back on your progress in the future.

Remember, you only get results from the physical actions you take, not for the great ideas you have. In order to get any kind of tangible results, you must act on an idea. You must build it, implement it, make it real.

The route to your goals will rarely be a straight line. When ships cross oceans, they are (technically) off course most of the time, but their navigation systems continually track their progress and compensate accordingly.

Goal setting works the same way. It gives you motivation and direction for what you need to do each day. As you begin moving towards your goals, you'll gain new knowledge along the way. You may even modify your goals. That's all good. You're making decisions. You're adapting. You're learning. You're learning how to learn.
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