The Truth About Energy
Management
E = You, Lean and Mean² by Paul
Scott - from OutsideOnline
Forget what you've heard about
calories, pounds, carbs, or miles—the adventure athlete's real secret to
optimal weight is all about energy management
WE ARE MISLED. Experts want us to believe
that managing weight concerns only two factors: diet (energy in) and exercise
(energy out). Exercise more than you eat, they say, and the pounds fall away.
Argue otherwise and they'll brain you with a food-pyramid paperweight. But as
that fleshy guy who beat you in last fall's triathlon sadly proved, you can
exercise all the time and still have, well, a lot to show for it. The problem
is that the energy-in/energy-out dialectic ignores the importance of your
metabolism rate - how fast you burn energy at rest. If you can simultaneously
ramp up your metabolism while stabilizing food intake and activity level,
you'll have a three-pillared attack that can control your weight
forever.
True, there's a legion of sponsored athletes who've defied the
odds and still inhabit the same bodies they had in high school - forget them,
it's their job to keep the pounds off. If you're anything like the rest of us,
your hectic lifestyle, an injury, or (ahem) the holiday season are eventually
going to inhibit your activity and slap you with a five- to ten-pound fine.
When you resume your healthy routine, losing that weight is less about how
"good" you are, the number of miles you run, or how many calories you consume
than it is about keeping your internal engine humming.
What follows is
the latest research on mastering your metabolism through weight training,
balancing fuel intake, and breaking bad habits. Since these points all deal
with the management of fuel, we've also crafted a tip list based on the core
principles of energy. Ignore these ten commandments and you'll watch your
energy tank and your cravings skyrocket; drill them into your life, however,
and your doughy triathlon rival will soon be whimpering in his wetsuit.
|
