Your Body on a Starvation Diet

March 11, 2012

Many people think that starving yourself is a quick fix diet. IT IS A LIE. People who believe this are misinformed and are actually harming themselves. Eating the right foods lets you keep a healthy metabolism.

When you eat a lot of food, the fat gets packed on. Some people think that by not eating at all they are ridding themselves of the fat, when in fact it sometimes causes you to gain weight. When you starve yourself, your metabolism is harmed and slows down or stops working. The calories you lose by not eating are actually causing you to lose energy. Your body, in an effort to protect its self, stores up the fat it has to maintain energy.

So, what happens to your body while you are starving yourself? First, your body will use up the contents in the digestive tract and then it will burn your fat reserves. Next, your glycogen reserves in your muscles and liver cells are used up. It only takes up to six hours for all of your glycogen reserves to be depleted. After those are gone, your muscles actually start to go. That’s just the beginning of what starvation does to your body. After all of those reserves are used, the lack of sugar begins to affect your brain. Your brain requires about 120 grams of glucose a day. So, around your third day of fasting/under nourishment your body will start to use ketones in place of glucose. Ketones are not a sufficient source of glucose so the remainder will come from the proteins in your muscles.

When people starve themselves they think that they will lose fat and keep their muscle. In fact, your body will only use the fat reserves for a couple of days before needing the protein from your muscles. When this happens your metabolism is gone and you will still be fat. Why? Because the muscle you have in your body is what keeps your metabolism going at a steady pace. Without the muscle, all you have is fat. Not what you were trying for. Here is the part that will really make you mad … all that time you spent starving, when the calories are returned, they land in just the wrong places!  You hoped for a flat stomach, firm backside, and sculpted arms.  Well, starvation has now trained your body to store calories and fat where you really did not want them in the first place.  Around reproductive organs…you guessed it, your gut!  Which happens to be the hardest place to loose that stubborn fat when dieting.   Starving yourself does not work!

Speeding up your metabolism is a better way to lose weight than starving yourself. Besides, by starving yourself you can cause your body serious health problems and likely will not even lose the weight the way you think you should. Weight gain does not happen overnight, so your body is not going to lose the weight overnight. By eating right, having 3 to 6 small meals a day of foods that are good for you, you can actually speed up your metabolism.

The good old fashioned ‘law of thermodynamics’ simply put, CALORIES IN = CALORIES OUT!  No medical trick in that solution.  Another great way of looking at weight loss … DON’T EAT LESS, MOVE MORE!

Get moving … come check out the equipment at F.I.T., the VersaClimber (only one in Texas) and the largest calorie burning piece of equipment on the planet according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine and American College of Sports Medicine. Try the Concept 2 Rowing Ergometers, the second best calorie burners around!  We are proud of our shiny new Cardio Club and invite you to try it out today!

In good health,

Bob

“Healthy bodies come in all sizes. A fit, healthy body  – that is the best fashion statement.” – Jo.Zee