THE
FAT
PROCESS OF
LOSS
In this extract from Secrets of Successful Program Design – A How-to Guide for Busy Fitness Professionals , Alwyn Cosgrove and
Craig Rasmussen look at why we need a better approach to fat loss programs , present some general physiology to understand the principles behind training for fat loss , and explain its application in creating programs .
T he good news is that fat loss is a simple concept . Simple ,
yes , but far from easy . It is a simple process that unfortunately requires hard work and a long-term approach . There are no quick fixes . Yes , it requires effort but , to be honest , once you understand fat mobilisation and fat metabolism , the process is not too complicated .
Understanding metabolism and fat loss
If you understand how the body burns calories ( and therefore burns excess body fat ), then you can quickly and easily evaluate most fat loss programs to see if they fulfil the requirements .
The first part of understanding the fat loss process is to understand metabolism or metabolic rate . We ’ ve all heard phrases such as , ‘ He has a slow metabolism ’ or ‘ I have a fast metabolism ’, usually in reference to the difficulty of losing weight or about how much food a person can consume . But what is actually meant by the term metabolism ?
Put simply , metabolism , or metabolic rate , is the total energy expenditure of the body . Everything that the body does ( e . g ., breathing , heart rate ), requires a certain amount of energy . The rate differs significantly from person to person . You and a friend can have the same activity level , diet and weight but still gain or lose weight at different rates based on differences in metabolism .
NETWORK AUTUMN 2021 | 27