spot

Is It possible To Reduce Fat From Specific Parts Of The Body?

You may have seen a lot of people performing a variety of crunches, side bends, leg raises, and abdominal exercises in hopes of getting rid of that belly fat or love handles at the gym.

But is it possible to reduce fat just from the belly or in other words, is it possible to target fat loss from a specific body part such as the thigh, abdominal area, hips, etc.?

Simply put, is spot reduction possible?

The clear answer is “no” for now but there is some evidence regarding its effectiveness but not conclusive enough at this point.

However, before we get to that it is important for you to understand how the body accumulates & loses fat.

How does the body accumulate fat?

A simple way of looking at this is, when you’re in a state of caloric surplus, meaning you’re consuming more energy through food (in form of carbohydrates, fat & protein) than you burn (Total energy expenditure), the extra energy that remained in your body will be stored in cells as triglycerides.

In your body, fat storage is determined by several factors such as genetics, age, gender, lifestyle, etc.

And, women generally tend to accumulate fat around thighs, butt areas whereas men store fat around their belly region.

How body loses fat?

When you are in a state of caloric deficit, meaning burning more calories than what you’re consuming, your body will break those triglycerides into free fatty acids & glycerol and use them as the energy source.

When this process takes place continuously, you’ll lose fat.

What about those abs, obliques, and thigh exercises we see people doing at the gym?

While all those exercises are great at increasing strength and endurance for a specific muscle group that’s being trained and might as well help grow the muscle under favorable conditions, however, removing fat mass is clearly for your body to decide.

To simplify it even further, performing biceps exercises will help grow muscle mass but will not warrant the reduction of fat mass from the biceps area. Likewise for other muscle groups.

In order for that to happen, strength training must be coupled with a calorie deficit so the body also starts to lose fat.

Do any specific body part gets preferential fat loss treatment?

No. It is for the body to decide which fat cells get used as energy first.

Whether they’re coming from the biceps, thigh or belly, you cannot decide.

A number of studies have proved that targeting fat loss from a specific area doesn’t work.

A 2017 study, however, showed some signs of a fat mass reduction in specific areas in 16 physically inactive women who did resistance training followed by low-intensity cardio sessions.

But more research is needed to confirm this for a larger group of individuals.

But meanwhile, something that definitely works on reducing overall fat mass is –

  1. caloric deficit diet
  2. resistance training and
  3. consistency

References –
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21804427/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23222084/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28497942/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17596787/

Thumbnail Image source

mistakes

Common Mistakes When Trying To Lose Weight

Top 5 Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes

Most of the poeple like you are doing exercises and maintaining a good Weight loss diet plan but still there weight is not losing.

That is because you are doing some weight common weight loss mistakes. So, today in this Article I will tell you Top 5 Biggest Common Weight Loss Mistakes.

For losing weight fast you need to consume less calories then your need. So, The first step for you is to click below and count your Daily Calorie Intake.

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1. Too much cardio exercise

The first thing you’ll notice anyone doing who’s on a fat loss journey. People generally consider cardio training i.e. treadmill, cross-training, and cycling as the most effective exercises for fat loss, however, too much cardio may result in muscle loss & over-exhaustion.

While, cardio is great for heart health and promotes healthy bones, joints, mood, sleep & energy level, and a lot of other functions but for fat loss, it is not the right strategy as cited above.

You can increase your caloric expenditure by burning more calories but excessive calories deficit might result in more muscle loss than fat loss.

But good cardio must be coupled with some caloric deficit and resistance training.

2. Focus on the scale

If you’re someone who gets disappointed if you don’t see a few grams down every other day on the weight scale, you might be on the wrong track.

Your body weight consists of 4 things largely:-

  • Fat mass
  • Muscle mass
  • Water weight
  • Bones & organs

Any change on the scale could result from a change in liquid content. For instance, you’re consuming excess salt leading to water retention or any hormonal change in women could also lead to excess water retention resulting in no change on the scale.

Maybe your muscle mass is getting lost which is result in scale going down or it could also be fat mass or a combination of both.

Or maybe there is no change on the scale but you lost a few inches by a reduction in your waist size.

If this is the case, it is a better way to lose weight i.e. losing more fat mass.

So the bottom line is – scale is good to keep on track but not reliable enough to depict a clear picture. Losing fat or inches could be a better way to track progress.

3. No Resistance training or strength training

People often underestimate the power of strength training. benefits of which go much beyond just weight loss.

More muscle means increased metabolic rate which means you’ll burn more calories with more muscle on the body than less muscle which may happen if you continue to do more cardio and negligible weight training.

In fact, you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time by being in a small calorie deficit, optimum protein intake, and weight training.

4. Instant results (Wrong expectations) –

Results don’t come overnight. If it took time to gain weight, it will take some time to lose it. You need to work constantly and being patience.

5. Negligible Protein –

When attempting to lose weight, a calorie deficit is the key and protein is among high-satiety foods that reduce appetite and keep you full for longer. Meaning a protein diet may help make staying in caloric deficit much easier.

Besides, it also helps preserve muscle mass during fat loss.

Conclusion

For losing weight fast you need to avoid some common weight loss mistakes. So, in this article I have been discussed Top 5 biggest weight loss mistakes. That are:

  • Too much cardio exercise
  • Focus on the scale
  • No Resistance training or strength training
  • Instant results (Wrong expectations)
  • Negligible Protein
oats

Types Of Oats – Rolled Vs Steel Cut Vs Instant Oats

Types of Oats: Which Is Best For You

Oats are whole grain and a nutritious food option. A lot of people these days are switching to Oats because of their potential health benefits.

In this article, we will have a detailed look at the nutrient profile of Oats, the health benefits it provides, the difference between the types of oats available in the market, if one’s better than the other, and lastly which one should you choose according to your lifestyle & taste preferences.

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Nutrition of 100g Oats

  • 389 calories
  • 16.89 g protein
  • 66.27 g carbohydrates
    • 10.6 g dietary fiber
  • 6.9 g fat
    • 1.22 g saturated fat
    • 2.53 g polyunsaturated fat
    • 2.18 g monounsaturated fat
  • 4.72 mg iron
  • 177 mg magnesium
  • 4.9 mg manganese
  • 523 mg phosphorous
  • 4 mg zinc
  • 0.763 mg Thiamine (B1)
  • 1.349 mg Pantothenic Acid (B5)

Besides, it is a smaller source of a lot of other nutrients.

Health Benefits of Oats

As we saw above, oat grain is a good source of protein, fiber, several vitamins & minerals, and antioxidants.

May improve heart health

Beta Glucan, a type of fiber that is found in Oats has been particularly proven to be effective at reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad & total cholesterol, and therefore, may play a role in keeping your heart healthy (3).

Beta-Glucans can also be found in barley and other cereals grains as well.

May help with weight loss

Oats, being a complex carbohydrate, can keep one satiated for a longer duration thereby reducing the instances of more frequent eating and caloric intake.

A diet rich in oats and other complex carbohydrates promotes a feeling of fullness and can help stay in a caloric deficit easily.

Type of oats

1. Whole Oat Groat

After harvesting, cleaning, and removal of inedible hulls from the Oat crop, the first type that comes is a whole oat groat. They undergo the least amount of processing.

It is similar in appearance to a wheat grain & rice grain.

These types of oats require the maximum amount to cook. You can rarely find it in the supermarket as people don’t usually purchase a whole oat groat.

2. Steel Cut Oats

This type undergoes one step of further processing by cutting the whole oat groat into 2-3 pieces with fine metal blades.

This looks quite similar to wheat Dalia and is often sold in the market as Oat Dalia or steel-cut oats.

The cooking time is quite lesser than the whole oat groat but it will still take about 20 minutes to cook.

You can cook it just the way you cook wheat dalia and can be prepared in both sweet & salty versions.

3. Rolled Oats

The next and a popular oat option are rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats.

In order to make rolled oats, whole oat groat, instead of being cut into pieces using metal blades, is steamed & rollers are used to turn them into flat structures, known as flakes.

The resulting grain is a rolled oat.

These take less time to cook than both types discussed above because they already underwent some form of processing.

They hardly take 10 minutes to cook. They also have a soft texture.

4. Quick or Instant Oats

They are the fastest and virtually take no time to cook.

For this, rolled oats are steamed & pressed/rolled for a longer duration to get an even thinner type of oat variety, called instant oats.

Which Type Of Oats Is Best For You

Which type of Oats is best for you is depend upon your specific fitness goal. You can decide it by observing all types of oats pros and cons. So, now after reading this full article you can easily decide which oats is best for you.

if you have any doubt then ask in the comment section 👇 please.

protein

How Much Protein Is Enough For You?

Protein is one of the three macronutrients other than carbohydrates & fats that are required by the body in sufficient quantities. 

From athletes and bodybuilders to dieters and health-conscious, high protein diets and their promises of muscle gain and improved health has interested a wide number of people.

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Proteins are composed of long chains of amino acids that form major structural components of muscles, brain, blood, skin, hair, enzymes, antibodies, transport iron, vitamins, minerals and serve various other functions.

As it performs a variety of roles, everyone needs it in the required quantities to avoid any deficiency. 

How Much Protein Do You Need? 

Unlike carbohydrates and fat, the body doesn’t store excess protein, so we have to take it daily from food, whatever extra is consumed throughout the day, is used for energy or gets stored as fat. 

A 2017 survey (1) shows that 73% of Indians are deficient in protein while above 90% are unaware of the daily requirement of protein.

For the general population, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) states that you need 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. 

So, a 70 kg person would need 70×0.8 = 56 grams of protein a day. 

This is the minimum requirement to prevent deficiency and nitrogen balance as protein serves various functions to keep your immune system strong, transport and store nutrients, and can act as an energy source if needed. 

Not meeting your daily protein requirements can increase the severity of infections, bone fractures, and stunted growth in children over time. This requirement increases for people engaged in any form of physical activity. They require more protein than those who live a sedentary lifestyle.  

Any form of physical activity including resistance training and cardiovascular exercises induces muscular damage.

Protein is thus required to repair, preserve and rebuild those muscles. 

Studies have shown that there is a higher need for athletes, regardless of their sport. The joint American College of Sports Medicine and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position statement calls for 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg for strength athletes and 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg for endurance athletes. 

A lack of protein can make you lose muscle mass, which in turn cuts your strength, makes it harder to keep your balance, and slows your metabolism.

Check Your Protein Intake According To Your Physical Activity Level

Sr. No.LIFESTYLEProtein intake
1.Sedentary (sitting job/work, almost no physical activity)0.8g/kg of body weight
2.Little active(most household work, walking a dog, aerobic exercises 2x a week)1.2g/kg of body weight
3.Moderately active(aerobic exercises 4-5x a week + anaerobic exercises 2-3x a week)1.4g/kg of body weight
4.Highly active(aerobic + anaerobic exercises 5-7 times a week)1.7g/kg of bodyweight

For example – a person who weighs 60 kgs falling in the category of moderately active lifestyle would need (60 x 1.4) 84g of protein every day. 

Some Best Sources Of Protein

Some easy food sources of protein to get started and meet your protein requirements –

  • Milk and milk products
  • Lentils
  • Soy products
  • Peanuts
  • Almonds
  • Quinoa
  • Eggs
  • Meat
  • Protein supplements, etc.

Is Consuming Extra Protein Is Good?

Research also indicates that eating more protein than needed is unlikely to show any further muscle gains because the body has little capacity to store protein.

Excess protein in diet just gets excreted or converted to glucose or Fat depending upon the body’s current needs as stated above.  

Excessive protein consumption ((more than 2g/kg), whether from food sources or supplements, may cause dehydration, as well as negatively impact the kidneys and bones(2). 

So, there is a high need for protein consumption to be at optimum levels.

ketchup

How To Choose A Healthy Ketchup?

Ketchup as a ‘condiment’ is extremely popular in India and is frequently used to complement a lot of foods such as pizza, burgers, sandwiches, cheelas, bread pakoras, etc. Today it is even used for cooking various dishes as well in homes, restaurants & hotels alike.

A food item, so popular across the length & breadth of the country must be evaluated for its ingredients & nutritional information. In this article, we will give you a simple process to find the right ketchup for you & your family.

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How a Ketchup is made?

To make tomato ketchup, just 5 or 6 ingredients are needed, namely –

  • Tomatoes
  • Vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Spices &
  • Condiments, etc.

But if look at the ingredients list of any popular ketchup in India.

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Other than the ingredients listed above, you will also see acidity regulator E260, thickener E 1422 & E415, and preservative E211.

This is common for the majority of the ketchups and there is a specific reason these food additives are used.

Are these food additives safe?

Xanthan Gum

E415 or Xanthan Gum is a thickening agent and it is used in ketchup to achieve the desired thickness or viscosity of the product.

However, the use of a good number of quality & ripe tomatoes will help thicken the product through its pectin content, which is naturally found in tomatoes or another alternative could be fruit pectin.

Though it’s absolutely safe and used in quantities given by FSSAI, however, consumption of a large amount of xanthan gum is linked (1) to digestive issues such as increased stool, gas, etc.

And it is commonly found in foods like salad dressings, soups, sauces, syrups, etc.

So, unless you’re consuming a lot of this stuff, this is unlikely to cause a problem.

However, a product can be made without this food additive.

Acetylated distarch adipate

E1422 or Acetylated distarch adipate is another thickener or stabilizer which is used in combination with xanthan gum in most ketchup products available on the market.  

Generally found to be safe, manufacturers can do without this food additive by using good quality tomatoes.

Heinz, the world’s leading ketchup brand, doesn’t use any of the thickeners in making their product.

Sodium Benzoate

E211 or sodium benzoate is a preservative that is used to make the product shelf-stable.

It is also known that when sodium benzoate is combined with ascorbic acid or vitamin c in sodas & beverages, it converts to benzene which is a known carcinogen (2).

It is also used in a range of products such as pickles, jelly, salad dressing, soy sauce, beverages, etc.

And, its use is also linked to an increased risk of inflammation, oxidative stress in the body and is also linked to hyperactivity in children (3).

So, it’s better you keep a check on the ingredient labels of food products you are consuming throughout the day that contains sodium benzoate and limit their consumption.

Heinz, again, an example of how to make ketchup without a preservative and still stay shelf-stable for a good amount of time.

Analyzing ingredients of some popular Indian ketchups

Kissan chilli tomato sauce has sugar as its second ingredient, which means the second-highest used product in this ketchup by weight is sugar, and tomato paste is just 22%.

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And all the additives discussed above are part of the ingredient list.

Veeba Truly tomato despite having not used any preservative & thickener has a lot of sugar, 39% to be precise.

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Maggi rich tomato ketchup also has sugar as its second ingredient at 31%.

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Heinz is way better than these with 22% sugar and no use of any food additive but tomatoes are just 26%.

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Bottom line

Though minimal use of ketchup shouldn’t be a cause of concern for people, but, the way it’s consumed in Indian homes coupled with not the right proportions of ingredients used by manufacturers is particularly concerning.

However, you as aware consumers must keep in mind that a good percentage of tomatoes, ideally more than 50-60%, is what you should aim for while purchasing ketchup.

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This will minimize the use of other ingredients and will give you access to a better product.