Basic knowledge of body fat! Introducing dietary and exercise rules for burning fat step by step

Basic knowledge of body fat! Introducing dietary and exercise rules for burning fat step by step

There was a sure cure for stubborn fat!

There's a lot of diet information out there, and I'm not sure which one is right! These days. "Body fat" is the key to dieting to those who are lost. In addition to basic knowledge such as average and calculation method of body fat, we will introduce a simple “lifelong thing” body fat burning method that anyone can continue.

What is body fat

In the first place, the main constituents of our body are roughly divided into water, muscle and fat. Among them, fat is easily fatigued by the image of being “fat” and “bad for the body”, but it is essential for life activities such as energy storage and internal organ protection.

However, if you reduce it too much or increase it too much, it will have an adverse effect on your body. If it is reduced too much, the body temperature will decrease, leading to disturbance of the autonomic nerves. On the other hand, if it increases too much, obesity will lead to lifestyle-related diseases. Therefore, the point is to control body fat within an appropriate range.

Type of body fat

There are two types of body fat. Subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

Subcutaneous fat does not have much to do with lifestyle-related diseases, but it has the drawback of being hard to remove once attached. Subcutaneous fat is the cause of lower body weight, which is common in women and is said to be pear-shaped.

On the other hand, visceral fat is common in adult men, and it is easy to get on in a short period of time, but it has a characteristic that it drops quickly. This is the one that is closely related to lifestyle-related diseases, so be careful if you feel "I'm a little hungry...".

Body fat percentage

Body fat percentage, as the name implies, is the proportion of body fat in the body. Weight is often emphasized in dieting, but in reality, even if the body weight is the same, depending on the body fat percentage, the body may become lean or obese, so it is important to check body fat rather than body weight.

◆ Average and ideal body fat percentage

The standard body fat percentage is 10-19% for men and 20-29% for women. Anything over that is considered obese. If you want to aim for a slim and toned body, try 11 to 13% for men and 20 to 22% for women. If you reduce it too much, you will be more likely to get sick, so keep in mind that you should adjust within the standard value.

◆ How to measure body fat

Some scales have a function to measure the body fat percentage.

When measuring these scales, a small amount of electricity flows, and the voltage calculates the approximate body fat percentage. However, it is not easy to accurately measure the body fat percentage because the body fat percentage easily changes depending on the amount of water at that time.

Therefore, it is easiest and relatively accurate to measure at a fixed time every day and calculate the average. It is recommended that you measure the water content after getting up and washing your hands. If it is difficult, it is effective to measure it after 2 hours or more after eating.

◆ Obesity check using BMI

Even if you don't have a weight scale with a body composition monitor, there is a BMI (Body Mass Index) that shows the degree of obesity from the values of weight and height. It's different from body fat, but it's useful in determining your ideal weight.

According to the criteria established by the Japan Obesity Society, less than 18.5 is "low body weight", 18.5 or more and less than 25 is "normal body weight", 25 or more is "obesity", and obesity further ranges from "obesity 1" to "obesity". It is classified into "4". (From Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare e-Health Net)

 

Target weight = target BMI x height (m) x height (m)

In Japan, we set 22 as the most difficult number to get sick.

However, there are some people who feel that the weight is 22, especially for women. For those people, let's consider 19 as a guide. If it is less than 18.5, there is a risk of getting sick due to overweight, which is dangerous.

For example, if you are 170 cm and weigh 70 kg

BMI 70÷1.7÷1.7=24.22...

The BMI is 24.22, so it is within the standard range, but I think that it may be a little fat, so I think it is about to start. If we calculate the target BMI as 22 here,

Target weight 22 x 1.7 x 1.7 = 63.58 (kg)

70kg-63.58=6.42kg

You can see that if you reduce about 6.5 kg, you can get close to your ideal body shape.

But keep in mind that BMI and body fat percentage should be considered separately.

A person with a thin appearance (low BMI) and a low body fat percentage is a thin type, but conversely, if the BMI is low but the body fat percentage is high, then obesity will occur.

Ideally, keep your BMI and body fat percentage well balanced. This will give you a firm and healthy body.

How to reduce body fat percentage?

You must approach both diet and exercise to reduce your body fat percentage. When body fat is high in the first place, it is often due to lifestyle habits. Increasing good habits is the key to overall improvement.

Three common failure cases

・Without meals

If you skip meals, your blood sugar level will rise sharply when you eat your next meal, increasing the risk of eating sardines.

・Only dietary restrictions

If you eat only calories, you will not have enough energy from food to consume calories and you will break down your muscles and use it as energy. When muscles are broken down, basal metabolism decreases, and as a result, body fat percentage increases more than before diet, so it is a serious fall.

・Rely on medicine

Medications tend to cause rebounds, and should be considered as a support with a healthy diet and exercise habits. There is also a risk of side effects for some people.

Even if the above 3 results are obtained in a short period of time, it is not a "method that can be continued for a lifetime." As mentioned at the beginning, the increase in body fat is due to "lifestyle". If you can't continue by asking yourself, "Is it possible to continue for a lifetime?