The topic on overweight and the increase of fats is quite an extensive one, but here I would like to present in brief a few major factors addressing the issue of why people accumulate fats or why they gain weight.
1. Age – Everybody knows that with age metabolism slows down; many hormones change their levels; and the triggering of plenty of other bodily processes results in the easy build-up of fats. We must be aware of the fact that as time passes by we need to do more, and not less, if we wish to stay in good shape.
2. Genetics – Every person is unique and has a different genetics. There are people with faster metabolism (better genes) and there are people with slower one. Even the number of fat cells is genetically determined; up to a certain point they grow in size and not in numbers, i.e. there are people with fewer fat cells as compared to others, and accordingly, the second group is more prone to gain weight. In my personal experience, I have noticed that people with average good genes show the best progress, for they get used to the thought that they will have to work hard in order to keep their good shape.
Whatever genes we have, we need to accept them as they are and struggle to achieve the maximum of what we got.
Many people use age and genes as an excuse for not being able to shape a harmonious body and live in general a healthier life. For us to be able to control our weight and the way we look, we need to be familiar with our own weaknesses and know how they disturb us!
In short, here are some of the basic reasons why people gain weight…
3. Overeat. Overeating is one of the main reasons for you to be fat. It is no secret that in today’s postmodern world 90 % of the people’s daily
routine is associated with less physical activity and too much eating. When overeating becomes systematic, the stomach expands permanently, and every time it needs more and more food to get satiated. When you eat too much, your body is in a state of the so-called caloric surplus (i.e. excess is preserved as bodily fat).
The solution to overeating is a simple one: eat less. The gradual reduction of meals over time decreases the stomach’s volume. Thus, it takes less food, i.e. less calories, for us to feel full. Most people have no idea what their next meal is going to be and when they are going to have it. They are not in the habit of cooking their own food, and therefore, they count too much on processed food which, although convenient, is rich in calories and poor on nutrients.
4. No physical activity. If you want to feel better in terms of both physical and mental state, you will have to focus on your physical activity. Its absence not only affects your looks, but also causes a multitude of illnesses. Nowadays, fitness in its various types comes as a natural solution to this problem. The important issue is not only how much calories we take, but how many of them we burn out while exercising. A balanced fitness program, even with just 2 or 3 workouts a week, can sweep up any surpluses that come with food. Exercises must be targeted at producing maximum results.
5. Misreading the signals sent by our organism. Quite often the real needs of the body are not what we provide it with.
- When we are thirsty, we think we are hungry. Many people confuse the thirst urge with hunger, so when the organism sends this kind of signal they take it as hunger and eat more food than necessary. Always keep a bottle of water at hand. Thus, you will not be thirsty and will not take unnecessary calories.
- Daily stress and nervous situations force a lot of people to eat in order to balance the excessive pressure.
- People often use food as antidepressant.
- Lack of sleep. When we do not get enough sleep, our organism tries to stock more calories.
For us it is very important to interpret correctly the needs of our body so as to keep it healthy and in good shape for a long period of time. We must know when we need food and water; when we are nervous and sleepy; or when we are experiencing an emotional problem. Whenever we feel confused with these signals and start treating ourselves with food, we certainly end up gaining extra weight.
6. Confusing or inaccurate information. All the foods labelled as “diet”, “healthy”, “fitness”, “skimmed”, “athletes’ food”, etc. leave us with the impression that no matter how much we eat, all this food is healthy and dietary, and we will get away with it and not take any excess calories. This of course is absolutely wrong. If we look carefully at the contents of these products, we shall see that most of them are rich in sugar, fats, etc. They may also contain protein, which makes them suitable for athletes, but that does not mean that these foods do not provide us with extra calories.
7. You are not consistent. The modern person eats in a way that is just opposite to the way he/she should eat, and namely – small or no breakfast at all, some kind of lunch, either quick or on the go, compensated at dinner. Even people who follow a nourishment diet quite often “cheat” on it on a daily, weekly and even long-term basis. This results in a confused metabolism which is sometimes slower due to the lack of food, or faster because of food excess. Then, there are once again periods of no eating, so there is no way of achieving a healthy metabolism at permanent rate. These constant changes cause the organism to react as if it is under stress, i.e. it gets its supplies in order to face the periods in which it will not be clear whether there will be food or not, and what kind of food there will be?!
If you are not consistent, even the best nutritional or workout plan will fail. Do not forget that only a regular and systematic caloric deficit (more calories are burnt than taken) will help you lose weight.
8. Hormones and their levels in the body are crucial for both men’s and women’s good physical shape. What is important here is the level of hormones at the thyroid, which regulate metabolism and cortisol levels associated with the increase of unnecessary fats. The estrogen-progesterone ratios play a major role in the female body. Normally, under a healthy and balanced food regime and well selected workout schedule, the hormone levels register average and healthy numbers. Besides hormone levels, there are also less frequent diseases, related to metabolism and weight gain, that are rare, yet not excluded. So if the other factors which I listed above are normal, but you are still gaining weight, then you should check your health and carry out required tests in order to find out if there is another problem. In this particular case, both the eating and the workout program will have to be adjusted to the specific problems.
This is in brief what I have to say on the issue of gaining extra fats. I hope this publication has been useful to you and believe that everyone has found in it something valuable. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!
My name is Valentin Petkov. I have been dealing with fitness and bodybuilding more than 15 years. I have been dealing since 2002 with competition activities. My greatest achievements in competitive plan are one World Cup and three European. I became champion of Bulgaria 9 times in different categories. I have prepared and are currently working with athletes from different sports. And also I have helped hundreds of people to live a healthy and fulfilling life. I think, there is nothing in the human body, that is foreign to me. If you want to change the way you look and feel, or you want to achieve sports results, you need advice related to nutrition and exercise, or just you want to live a healthy lifestyle and you give the best of yourself, I promise you, that we will achieve everything you are striving together.I don't promise it would be easy, but I know, that there is nothing better than feeling of accomplishment.