People diet for many reasons. Maintaining sound health may
be the most important reason, but many people also diet to
look good, or to fit into a particular outfit. If you are
simply eating less to attain this goal, you might be taking
the wrong path to getting leaner.
A
study released earlier this year in Medicine and Science
in Sports and Exercise investigated the response of abdominal
fat related to exercise by young men. Thirty obese men (average
age: 20 years) were examined before and after four months
of disciplined training in the Singapore Armed Forces, and
compared to another 30 men of similar age and body composition
not undergoing training. Researchers also focused on overall
fat mass, muscle mass and percentage of body fat based on
skinfold measurements.
Besides losing an average of 26 pounds during training, the
soldiers also maintained their muscle mass, which remained
unchanged. Most importantly were the significant reductions
observed in waist and hip circumference through fat loss,
and the relationship between them. Waist circumference was
reduced significantly more than hip circumference - 14% compared
to 8%.
In other words, fat loss was clearly the most pronounced
around the waistline due to working out. This may not be the
case for weight loss from dieting alone, which can also cause
the loss of some muscle mass. The most successful long-term
dieters often cite one common element to their success: an
ongoing exercise regimen. Be sure to combine an exercise program
with your diet for not only lasting results, but also fat
loss focused on your midsection.
Reference:
Mayo MJ, Grantham JR, Balasekaran G. Exercise-induced
weight loss preferentially reduces abdominal fat. Medicine
and Science in Sports and Exercise 2003:35(2), pp. 207-213.
For more tips on sports and exercise, check out www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/sports.html.
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