UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF BURNING BODY FAT
SO I CAN KNOW WHAT TO DO!
A few notes for myself, so I can relax about these...
FAT BURNS EFFICIENTLY
Fat stored in adipose tissues and muscles is broken down into fatty acids, which are then used by the mitochondria to generate energy in the cells. (Greater details: The Fat Burning Process, Livestrong)
The 11 step process when interfered with through dysfunction or under-functioning will cause one to have less energy - otherwise this is a good ongoing source of energy.
I can get by on limiting my carbohydrates (to under 50 grams) in order to burn fat (a process called ketosis) and I'll have plenty of energy.
We will not burn body fat as long as there is insulin in the blood locking it up.
Obviously, if I eat in excess, whatever it is, the body will find some way to store it. But I can eat fat for its appetite control properties, as long as I only eat it up to feeling "80% full", which is the level of satiety (satisfaction).
FAT BURNS AUTOMATICALLY, AS NEEDED
The further we get away from having eaten a meal, the more our body switches to burning fat, which it does automatically and easily. As we sleep and run out of glucose to burn, we burn fat. During normal physical activities (outside of a high blood sugar time), the body burns 50% glucose and 50% fat. During "aerobic" exercise (in the range of 65% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) up to approximately 80%, it will burn fat at a 60+% rate. At high intensity (above 80% of the MHR, which is "anaerobic"), it will burn mostly glucose, as it needs more energy at a faster pace. These are all slow, long processes - whereas you can add fat in second, if you don't follow the cardinal rule of never spiking insulin.
A LONGER TIME SINCE A MEAL
One secret is to stop eatiing long enough to let the fat burning occur. The Eight Hour Eating Period is one of the most effective strategies for fat burning and weight loss. You simply eat all you want (not gorging yourself) during an eight hour window from, say, 11 to 7 and you give your body time to be fully efficient at burning body fat! David Zinczenko says as few as three days a week of doing this will be effective, in The 8 Hour Diet.
INCREASE THE RATE OF METABOLISM
The goal of everybody, for ease and miraculous weight loss. But...
To raise one's metabolism one must do an action.
Interval training, with the inclusion of short high intensity spurts, will up the fat burn, both short term and during the day. (Even just exercising regularly has a positive effect.)
Intense high-weight weight lifting, even for less than ten minutes, will increase the metabolism all day, plus build muscle (which makes one less fat!), which in turn automatically burns more energy just sitting there!
Hopping on a recumbent bike (or walking) during breaks, re-ups a slowing metabolism from sitting.
THERE IS NO ENERGY PROBLEM...
I wondered if I should "eat for energy" and store up lots in a meal so I would have lots of energy storage available, but I was operating from a myth. Eating enough so I feel reasonably full is all that is needed.
It turns out that my liver has sufficient energy available from glycerol that I could last most of the day on that alone. There is no energy supply problem.
