My husband and I have challenged each other for the month of February to see who can lose the most percentage of body fat. Little did I know what a challenge this would be. Losing pounds is one thing, but body fat is a whole other ball game. (medicine.net explains:)
Body fat content is 25% for women at normal size compared to 15% for men.
Bodybuilding.com says:
It is important to note that men and women typically carry fat differently on their bodies; females carrying a greater portion of it in the hip and thigh area, while males tend to focus their fat in the abdominal region. Additionally, females do have a higher essential body fat requirement due to the fact that their bodies must be capable of giving birth and their reproduction system will require more body fat stores.
A healthy body fat level for women is the 20-25% range, while males can bring their body fat down to 10-15% and still be considered healthy.
I definitely saw a difference in the drop in body fat my husband witness and the lack of mine moving. Some days there would be a significant change in mine, others, I felt like I was going backward. My diet is much different than Luis’s (my husband). I am vegan, he is vegan at home, carnivore everywhere else. So I thought I would have an easier time. Nope! So I did some research to see what I can do differently.
-
I already eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, but I can always add more. I know I get enough protein throughout the day. Being vegan really helps my case here. I am thankful for my love of fruits and vegetables because without them, I know I would have a lot more weight and fat on me.
-
Also being vegan helps me to eat “good carbs” which are brown rice, beans, oats, and potatoes. (I should leave out the potatoes chips, but some days, the salt is calling me!) I know I need to eat less of the “other carbs”, pasta, and bread. Even as I am typing this I am eating a bowl full of pasta! I love pasta and I could live on it for days. Luckily not all pasta is the enemy. I have found whole-wheat pasta, and pasta made with vegetables. They are out there. I also am a fan of the bagel. Dunkin Donuts has some vegan bagels which totally excites me. I treat my self once a week to their coffee and bagel on Fridays. It is my reward for making it through the week.
-
Eating enough fiber will help push fat through the digestive system. I need to add more spinach and kale to my morning smoothies to give me more fiber. Eating a lot of whole grains helps as well. This is again found in whole wheat bread, whole oats, brown rice, and quinoa.
-
Eating a balanced breakfast will also help. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You can’t skip it. For more information on breakfast, check out my breakfast blog: http://theconscienceliving.com/2017/10/13/7-breakfast/
-
Drinking water throughout the day is a must. Bodybuilding.com suggests drinking a gallon of water a day:
Drinking plenty of water is the easiest thing you can do to make sure you’re losing fat as fast as possible. The actual process of burning fat in your body requires water to work right, so not drinking enough water means you’re not burning fat as efficiently as you could be.
-
Of course, exercise is going to play a role in cutting the body fat. Aerobics/cardio is very helpful. If you do not work out regularly, start easy so you do not get overwhelmed. Switch up your exercise routine, to make it fun. Do some weight lifting, strength training, then do a couple days of HIIT.
Most importantly, however you choose to try to cut the fat, enjoy it and have fun. Make it a routine. The more you do it, the more of a difference you will see. Next week I am going to add some walk/jog/run into my routine to see what a difference that makes. Seeing results helps me to be more conscience of my actions!
Awaken Your Inner Self!
Carol
Recent Comments