Fat loss plateau? You need to read this article by Dr. Jenevieve Roper, PhD
METABOLIC DAMAGE
METABOLIC DAMAGE
What To Do When Your Body (And Fat)
Fights Back
By
Jenevieve Roper, PhD (ABD)
Picture it: you’re sticking
to your diet and exercise plan. Everything is going well, the
fat is falling off, and you’re right on track with your
progress. Then you hit a plateau. No worries, right? Just eat a
little less and throw in some extra cardio, and you’re good. Then
you hit another plateau. So you adjust a little more,
removing more from your diet and upping the cardio. You continue
this cycle (and it doesn’t last long) until you’ve reached a
point where no matter how much cardio you do and how clean your
diet is, the scale won’t budge and the fat seems to hang on for
dear life. Well, my friend, there is a high likelihood that you
have metabolic damage.
So What Is Metabolic
Damage?
Well, essentially,
metabolic damage can occur when we aren’t eating enough and are
exercising too much. You see, our bodies need a certain amount
of calories for basic daily functions: for some people that’s
1,200 calories and for others that may be upwards of
2,000, depending on your body composition and activity level.
This is your resting (some call it “basal”) metabolic rate, and
it is the net balance of calories that our body needs
to properly function. That means no matter how much you eat and
exercise, your net balance should be equal to your resting
metabolic rate.
As you continue
to eat less and exercise more, one of the first things that
happens is your metabolic rate will decrease. Our body is very
efficient at getting rid of unnecessary functions and processes
that cost a lot of energy, and unfortunately muscle building is
one of the first to go, as it is very energy expensive.
Why? Well, our body has now entered
“starvation mode.” When our energy balance is too far in the
negative side, our body thinks it’s starving. It begins to conserve
energy by eliminating energy-expensive processes (like muscle
building) and holding on to our energy stores. And where do we
store energy? That’s right: in body fat.
At this point, we
try to eat a little less and exercise a little more. However,
this only compounds the situation. Our metabolism is already
impaired, and when we continue down this path, other metabolic
functions (important ones, at that) begin to suffer. We know
that exercising with already-depleted glycogen stores, due to a low carb diet,
can compromise our immune system. Also, our hormones begin to
get off-balance. And this can lead to a multitude of effects.
How Do You Know If
You Have Metabolic Damage?
Here’s the
thing: there are many signs and symptoms that are associated
with metabolic damage, so there is no one thing that can
definitively diagnose you as having it. And the symptoms range
from minor to major, depending on how far deep you are into it. Since
the minor symptoms can be overlooked as something else, it’s actually quite
easy to end up with some more of the moderate-to-severe symptoms.
But one thing is for sure: if you have adopted an
eat-less, train-more regimen, you more than likely are on your
way to metabolic damage.
How Can You Avoid
This Condition?
Well, as long
as you are using an eat-less, train-more plan, you are likely
going to encounter some form of metabolic damage. It’s almost
inevitable. But you can attenuate how long it is before you are
being affected by it. For example, if you are getting ready for a
competition, I always suggest that the athlete increase his
or her exercise intensity before cutting calories. This doesn’t
mean you have to start doing two-a-days right away, but it does
mean that the intensity of your workouts should be higher. Reducing
the rest periods between sets or performing circuits is a great
way to start. Try to only add in two-a-days toward the end when
you are really stuck in a plateau or need an extra boost to lose
the last bit of fat. Clean up your diet without cutting too many
calories when you do start to adjust your diet: holding
the cheese and asking for low-fat dressing are ways to help
you along there. Also, try to be in a daily caloric deficit of
500 to 1,000 calories, with the safer recommendation being 500
calories, but definitely no more than the upper limit. Remember
I said earlier that we need a certain amount of calories for
basic metabolic functions, and if you are at a caloric deficit higher
than 1,000 calories, you’re likely going to start
affecting those processes.
Know When It’s Time
To Stop
No one likes to
quit, but if your metabolism has been
reduced significantly and your body has been greatly
affected, your rebound is not going to be pretty and it’s going
to take a while for certain metabolic processes to return to normal.
But you can’t just stop everything altogether or you will turn
into the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. You must gradually reduce
your exercise intensity and gradually put calories back into
your diet. You’ll probably gain weight, just not as much nor as
quickly.
The most
important thing is to listen to your body. As an athlete we’re
always taught to push through, which is fine, as long as you
aren’t pushing yourself off a cliff into a whirlwind of issues
that keep you from reaching your ultimate goal.
Jenevieve Roper is
a writer and health expert who is keen on busting many of
the myths that prevail in the fitness
world.
Send your questions or comments to alphaedgefitness@gmail.com
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