Reading through a national daily  in 2012, I was so fascinated about an article  titled Miss Big Nigeria beauty pageant. It was very glaring how our society has urged plus-sized women to be confident and shun timidity in a world when trim figures are embraced on the runways.

Attesting to the fact that being big is African, the founder of the Miss Big Nigeria Pageant, Dr. Olubunmi Wilson Usim, urged an end to the stigmatisation of big women in fashion. She advised that they be allowed a sense of belonging by recognising their natural endowments.

At the beauty pageant held in Abuja recently, she said that the pageant was to showcase the rich African culture.

A graduate of Mass communication, 25-year-old Olufemi Adu Felicia, emerged winner, while 27-year-old Emmanuella Egoigbo, a graduate of law was the first runner up. Chinaza Chimalu, a 19-year-old undergraduate of psychology at the University of Benin was the second runner-up.

The eldest of four children, Adu, the winner, disclosed that her mother encouraged her to contest. She promised helping other plus-sized girls to build their confidence and be comfortable with their size.

Beauty pageants are not usually associated with cellulite, rolls of flab or the models with thunderous thighs that wobble like jelly. But with these latest developments, the “Big”  girls also stand the chance of being celebrated in our society.

One of the most special things about human beings is that they are each unique and special in their own way. The adult human has a set number of fat cells, which enlarge to accommodate fat storage. Fat calls are formed at specific times of growth such as at  infancy, adolescence, and during pregnancy. So later in life when we work to lose or gain weight, we are just shrinking or expanding our existing cells. These cells are in constant state of metabolism.

Your body is the most intricate and complex machine ever designed. It is programmed to protect you in every way possible, no matter what you do, and it cares more about your wellbeing and survival than about how thin you are. Your body doesn’t give a care what our society says the standard should be. It isn’t a bit worried about that cellulite on your things or your expanding waistline. In fact, it’s probably quite happy because a nice storage of reserved fuel is available in case of famine (or a self imposed starvation diet).

In my little research I have come to agree that among others, there are five major fat burning factors which include gender, genetics, exercise/activity, nutrition and muscle maintenance .

So boosting  and sustaining a strong metabolism is influenced by physiological  factors. Two are out of your control- gender and genetics. The rest are up to you! Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Gender

God delivered a blue print stamped male or female. And the inherent differences in men and women influence our fat- burning and storing  capabilities. From a purely physical standpoint, women  were first and foremost designed to support another life. Our gender has a direct influence on our hormones, which tell all our body system just how prepared we are for that specific mission, desired or not. From puberty on, our internal chemistry is working based on this presumption, month after month after month.

The hormones involved in this process stimulates our fat cells to work like mighty soldiers to ensure we never run short of fuel. The female body wants to know that it’s capable to carry  or nurture an infant. That’s why some adolescent girls take so long to begin menstruation. If there body fat percentage is too low,  their body is not in a position to support a child, so they don’t ovulate. In the same way, when women become too lean through too much exercise, stress, or dieting, their periods may stop.

If you think about it, the female body must be an excellent fat storing machine to ensure the perpetuation of life. If you store fat well, your body is doing a great job. Now, that doesn’t mean we want to store too much extra fat, but it is a natural and healthy process when not taken to the extreme. And that is why it is generally more difficult  for women to have the body our culture promotes.

Our specific gender affects the two key enzymes that play a role in fat metabolism . They include the lipogenic(fat storing enzyme) and lipolitic(fat burning enzyme). To be precise the lipogenic is more dominant in women and it is the fat storing enzyme  while  men have more of the lipolitic enzymes. That is why men burn fat more rapidly than the woman. Have you ever noticed that when a man decides to work on himself in order to lose weight especially in the waist region, all he has to do is cut down a little on calories or just improve on exercise? It doesn’t seem fair but that’s the way it is.

Genetics

Our genetic blueprint is predetermined before we are even born. If your directions read “stop growing  at five foot two,” nothing you can do will make you five foot seven. So also is the case if your blueprint reads “long arms”  or “short legs” or ” a gymnast’s body” or “fashion model’s body”.  So there are a few things we need to accept and celebrate . The good news  is that we have incredible influence in making our specific body type it’s very best!

I speak with many women who are frustrated because they work so hard on their nutrition  and exercise programmes and still see fat on their bodies. The reality is they may always see some fat in natural areas like the hips, buttocks, or thighs. How much will depend on the fat-fighting factors within their control.

Keep in mind that your body will respond best to moderate and consistent change. You have control over what you eat and how much you move, and these choices and behaviours will influence how you burn fat much more significantly than gender or genetics

Exercise/Activity

The best way to burn off those stubborn fats is to move, move and move. When we engage in activities such as walking, biking, swimming, or even dancing, we significantly increase the amount of fat being burned for fuel. These type of activities are considered aerobic because we are able to sustain them for a long period of time without  running out of sufficient oxygen.

When we are at rest or are moving sporadically, the caloric demands on our bodies will be minimal. An average sized woman burns about one to two calories per minute; a man about two to four in a resting or moderately sedentary state. And it’s easy for the body to convert glycogen  into glucose at a sufficient rate. But when the body starts to move aerobically, it gets a little concerned that it may run out of glycogen,it’s preferred fuel source.

To conserve glycogen, the body tells the fat cells to start releasing their stored fuel; now the body is ready to sustain aerobic activity. The percentage of fat burned begins to increase steadily from about 5% to over 50% in the first 30 minutes of aerobic activity, and this will continue throughout the aerobic workout. It’s easy to see that the most efficient and healthy way to access stored body fat is through frequent aerobic exercise especially at intervals of thirty minutes or more.

Therefore we need to make a conscious effort to get our bodies moving. For some, that means exercise, from my perspective, the “E” word represents a very specific activity designed to work the body for an intended result.

Nutrition

If you think back to your own personal health history, I am confident you can pinpoint a time in your life when the weight just started to “creep” up on you. Whether it was an emotional or stressful trigger that started the number on the scale to climb or the hectic pace of life which caused health to take a back burner position. The good news is the body has an amazing forgiving and restorative  nature-giving  proper foods, nutrients and condition, it responds positively in a very short time.

For some years, investigation has been ongoing on the issue of METABOLISM, which can be altered through various lifestyle and dietary changes. If you have difficulty loosing weight, it is thought that you are one of the unlucky  ones that have  a “slow”  metabolism leading you  to a future of continued weight gain and weight loss struggles. If you have a “fast” metabolism  you may be among the lucky few who can eat anything and everything.   I strongly believe that metabolism can indeed be increased with a variety of natural steps which include the following:

•Do not skip breakfast- your most active hours of the day begins in the morning to afternoon. At such times your metabolism is active so your system is likely to digest food easily. Metabolism gradually declines as the day grow older.

•Eat more protein- dietary protein such as beans,egg white, lean meat, chicken and fish. More weight is lost  when you eat more protein.

•Avoid refined grains- products made from refined such as  many breads, pastas, cakes, and pastries cause most people to over secrete the hormone insulin. Insulin has the opposite effect of glucose.

•Maintain a low glycemic index- carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains (bread and pastas) and beans. Do not  be scared of eating bread . Research  demonstrates very clearly that whole grains are beneficial for weight loss and the prevention of type 11 diabetes, colon cancer and constipation.

•Go for green- instead of your morning coffee, opt for some green tea. Green tea has many health benefits, from helping to fight diseases to aiding in weight loss. Study shows that the antioxidants in Green tea helps increase fat burning. Research also shows that Green tea may lower blood sugars by inhibiting  enzymes that allow the absorption of starch, and it may reduce the absorption of fat from the intestines. Take one to two cups a day.

Muscle Maintenance

As active young adults most of us have a relatively high percentage of muscle that helps us  in our daily activities . As we move into our 40s, however we may start to notice some loss of muscle and strength as part of the ageing process. Muscle loss and strength occurs in all fitness level but happens faster and with greater losses in people who are inactive. These challenges may not be large enough to be noticed initially. Over time they become more significant  since muscle is related  to calorie burning.

The first noticeable change is often gradual weight gain or greater difficulty maintaining body weight on the same number of calories.

Another change may be slower muscle recovering from exercise.  The loss of muscle and strength  can cause changes on bones, ligaments, tendons, joints  and system that support these body parts  and decrease neuromuscular  response. These can lead to impair function and an increased  risk of injury.

For older adults, these mean they lose their ability to live independently owing to physical disability .

How To Stop Muscle And Strength Loss

One of the most effective action steps is engaging  in resistance type activities that occur on a regular basis. These activities need to be appropriate  for the age and ability  of the individual so that they are beneficial without causing muscle weakness or injury.

Resistance exercises entails the use of hand and ankle weight, resistance bands, exercise machines and/or other exercise that target muscle strength .A qualified  exercise professional can provide good guidance.

Walking, swimming, or other cardiovascular activities strengthen the heart and the lungs, increase circulation to the brain, provides some weight bearing benefit to bone (unless the person has a low body weight), and assist with balance.

Although strength building exercise and adequate dietary protein individually promote more muscle doing both can have an additive effect. Timing may also be important. Consuming a good source of protein immediately after doing resistance exercise appears to promote muscle better than waiting two hours or more after exercise to consume the protein.

Let’s connect @  [email protected] for further information 

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Posted in Nigeria News. A DisNaija.Com network.

Source: PM News

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