Not all the people who currently have excess body fat or who are even obese have not always had problems with weight. Some people have been in very good shape and have had very little body fat in their younger years but as time goes on things change. And you may suddenly realise that you have a real problem because you have excess fat that you didn't have in the past.
Reasons why we gain body fat
The main reason why this happens to a lot of people is the fact that the metabolism starts to slow down from your mid 20s. And as people get to that age then they have more obligations and less time to exercise. People become inactive and have poor nutrition, if you combine that with the fact that your body is not able to burn those calories as effectively as before, then body fat can come on easily.
The mistake that people very often make, that actually makes the metabolism even slower, is dieting. Most diets work by cutting calories too low and if you restrict your calories below 1800 then your body´s metabolism starts to slow down and makes losing fat very hard. The danger to lose muscle mass with diets is very real and a big part of the weight that people lose is actually muscle.
Fat burning and muscle building
To reverse this process and actually being able to lose body fat and gain muscle takes a different approach. A much better option is not to eat 2-3 bog meals a day, but rather 5-6 smaller meals a day, that are eaten after every 2-3 hours. This makes your metabolic rate faster and you burn more calories. Each meal should be balanced and contain at least 20 grams of protein. You can easily prepare your meals in advance to make it easier for yourself.
The second way to lose body fat and gain muscle is to start weight training. Cardio training is also essential but it is a bit overrated because it has no effect on the metabolism. But if you lift weights then this stimulates your muscles to grow. And the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn.
There is of course a lot more you should know about losing body fat and gaining muscle but this is a good start I believe. And if you want more information the just click the link below.
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