3. How the Machine Works
The Ultimate Equation
Feeding Your Metabolism
The Weight-Creep Syndrome
Low-Fat Is Not Low-Cal
The Old Binge Weekend
In a Nutshell
4. The Science of Eating
Macronutrients: The Big 3
Using and Storing Energy
Pace Yourself
Always Include Protein
The Right Proportions
The Evolutionary Perspective
The Caveman's Adaptive Mechanisms
The Common-Sense Solutions
The Magic of Fiber
What to Drink?
A Little More Effort
In a Nutshell
5. The "E" Word
Exercise Is Not Just About Burning Fat
Begin by Moving More
Boost Your Metabolism
How Much Exercise Is Needed?
Aerobics or Weights?
Hitting a Plateau
Just Do It - With a Buddy
In a nutshell
6. Tips and Tricks
Emotional Eating
Talk Yourself Out of It
Chew Your Food
The 6-Minute Rule
Get Enough Sleep
Drink Water
Drink Green Tea
Use a Smaller Plate
Weighing Yourself
Manage Your Stress
7. The 10 Golden Rules
Appendix A - High-Fiber Foods
Appendix B - Meal Suggestions
Breakfast ideas
Snacks
Lunches
Suppers
Use your imagination
Appendix C - References
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Aerobics or Weights?
If you choose to join a gym, which type of exercise do you think will be most effective for losing weight: aerobics or weight-lifting?
Most people will guess aerobics. Nothing like a real good sweat to lose those extra pounds, right? Well, in fact, weight-lifting is more effective.
It's a common misconception that sweating it up makes you lose fat. Yes, you do lose a lot of fluids right away, but you put those back on as soon as you have a glass of water. The process to lose fat is completely different, as we have seen earlier in The Science of Eating. The only way to lose fat is to instruct your body to convert your fat tissues into glucose, and that will only happen after you have depleted your short-term supply of glycogen from your muscles and liver. A good aerobics class will certainly help deplete the glycogen supply and get the fat-burning process started, but weight training will do the same thing both during the exercise session and after that session is over. Let's examine why.
Resistance training (i.e. pushing or pulling on heavy things) builds up your muscle mass, resulting in more storage space for glycogen. When you eat, your body converts the available energy into glycogen which it stores in your liver and muscles. The more muscle mass is available, the more energy can be stored this way for short-term use, and the less energy is left over to be stored in fat tissues for long-term storage.
In addition, larger muscles burn more calories (while walking, lifting, etc.) than smaller muscles, which means you can burn more calories in your day-to-day routine than if your muscle mass was lesser.