Aerobic base building and OutSmarting the Midlife Fat Cell

[ooty]

DISCLOSURE: I DO NOT have a professional relationship with a seller or producer of fitness videos or products. I would be more than happy to have such a relationship, especially if it involves free videos!.

[Soapmaker]

Originally Posted by Gardengirl

And when cortisol is released, insulin levels are raised and we're hungrier? Is that how that works? If so, what a vicious cycle!!! Lol!!

ETA: Soap for Christmas would be great and have a lot less calories than cookies (or pie)!

Cortisol is released in response to stress both mental and physical (including exercise, caffeine intake, lack of sleep, increased weight, nutrient deficiency/caloric restriction, etc...many things that you don't think of as stress.) Cortisol triggers muscle breakdown and fat storage and makes you hungrier which causes you to eat more and increases fat storage which causes an increase in cortisol... When cortisol is high, your body can't respond to insulin as well which causes it to increase secretion of insulin causing the body to eat more and store more fat causing a rise in cortisol. You get the picture. It is a slippery slope that starts early in life, and becomes a real problem in the 40's and 50's when the ovaries stop production/conversion of the bad form of estrogen that fat cells sercete into the friendlier form. It doesn't happen overnight, and proper exercise and nutrition can help slow it down. Being aware of how your body responds to both helps you figure out how to keep it healthy.

During exercise, the body transfer the control of the metabolism to catecholamines including adrenaline, a normal response to stress. The higher the intensity, the higher the stress. Insulin is there, but the cells don't respond to it. If the body is already in adrenal overdrive or even unbalance, the response to high intensity workouts is what I described above. This is where low intensity activity works better. It depletes circulating fat without massive retaliation from fat cells. This is also where weight training helps balance the effect of cortisol by minimizing muscle loss.

I'm not saying you can't do high intensity exercise. I still do plenty of it, but it is only a part of an overall exercise program which has a solid basis of aerobic endurance. This type of endurance increases the body's ability of turning fat into heat during sleep, rest, practically any time. This reduces the amount of fat stored, reducing cortisol etc...

You can't have soaps without cookies. They come together. Fortunately for me, I get specific requests well in advance, types of oil and scents for soaps and nuts and flavors for cookies. At least I know I'm giving people something they want.

[Gardengirl]

Originally Posted by Soapmaker

Cortisol is released in response to stress both mental and physical (including exercise, caffeine intake, lack of sleep, increased weight, nutrient deficiency/caloric restriction, etc...many things that you don't think of as stress.) Cortisol triggers muscle breakdown and fat storage and makes you hungrier which causes you to eat more and increases fat storage which causes an increase in cortisol... When cortisol is high, your body can't respond to insulin as well which causes it to increase secretion of insulin causing the body to eat more and store more fat causing a rise in cortisol. You get the picture. It is a slippery slope that starts early in life, and becomes a real problem in the 40's and 50's when the ovaries stop production/conversion of the bad form of estrogen that fat cells sercete into the friendlier form. It doesn't happen overnight, and proper exercise and nutrition can help slow it down. Being aware of how your body responds to both helps you figure out how to keep it healthy.

During exercise, the body transfer the control of the metabolism to catecholamines including adrenaline, a normal response to stress. The higher the intensity, the higher the stress. Insulin is there, but the cells don't respond to it. If the body is already in adrenal overdrive or even unbalance, the response to high intensity workouts is what I described above. This is where low intensity activity works better. It depletes circulating fat without massive retaliation from fat cells. This is also where weight training helps balance the effect of cortisol by minimizing muscle loss.

I'm not saying you can't do high intensity exercise. I still do plenty of it, but it is only a part of an overall exercise program which has a solid basis of aerobic endurance. This type of endurance increases the body's ability of turning fat into heat during sleep, rest, practically any time. This reduces the amount of fat stored, reducing cortisol etc...

You've described exactly what's happened to me! It's nice to have an explanation of why it's happened . . . thanks!!

Another question . . . . . does this same thing happen during peri-menopause. I would guess it's the same as hormones are out of wack and all over the place.

Too bad none of my relatives make soaps! I seem to get lots of nick-nacks to dust! Lol!

[Soapmaker]

Originally Posted by Gardengirl

You've described exactly what's happened to me! It's nice to have an explanation of why it's happened . . . thanks!!

Another question . . . . . does this same thing happen during peri-menopause. I would guess it's the same as hormones are out of wack and all over the place.

Too bad none of my relatives make soaps! I seem to get lots of nick-nacks to dust! Lol!

From puberty on, the body adjusts to everything we do or don't do. It is very gradual. You notice it more during perimenopause because there is more hormonal fluctuations causing more noticable changes.

Do you need one more "relative" that makes soaps and creams too?

[F1mom]

DISCLOSURE: I DO NOT have a professional relationship with a seller or producer of fitness videos or products. I would be more than happy to have such a relationship, especially if it involves free videos!.

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by Alta

What I want to know is, should I have apple pie, or pumpkin pie on Christmas?

Update: I had some apple, apple-cranberry, cherry AND lemon meringue pie during the holiday.

Yummy!

[Baballou]

So, what works for me isn't theory, it's a fact.

I tried starting a separate thread for people to post what has worked for them and it just floated on down the list.

Isn't there some way for *us* to compile some anecdotal conclusions about what works for fat loss? So many of us are in the same age group and have years of exercising experience. Can we put our heads together and think of a way to do this? Maybe if only those who have sucessfully reached and maintained their goals commented?

I guess the one consistent thing I've heard on this mega-thread is changing things up helps. But I want more information from y'all!!!

[bzar]

Originally Posted by Baballou

I tried starting a separate thread for people to post what has worked for them and it just floated on down the list.

i was reading that thread you started and i bookmarked it. here's what i learned from re-reading it and others:

1) ABB does work. the VFers who had the tenacity to see it through (and that is the key) experienced fat loss. tracking relative changes in BF% would allow you to see this happening.
2) even a stray deviation into the red zone will behoove you to start on square one again (see RedFlame posts about ABB for instance)
3) i'm noticing that i am a horsemom2 stalker. she is the 1 person with whom i am most inspired by. she confirmed that ABB works and also devised another way of doubling her losses by doing a split or spark variation (see "spark" threads by gymratt for example).
4) and baballou, i recall your threads on fitprime about ABB and how you had been pursuing it ~ i don't think it failed for you, in fact, i think you probably did have fat loss doing an ABB rotation.
5) i think simple tracking over a 90-day period in a paper and pencil log book would show that you can reap the benefits of ABB.

my current focus now is to do the split sparking that horsemom2 described.