One Of The Biggest Misconceptions About Fat

There's certain things you can trigger the human body to do, but at the end of the day-you are human, not a robot.  There's training and pushing beyond limits and then there's basic physiology. 

Let's take Nutrition and Hydration. 

Regardless of where you or anyone else sits on the Athletic Spectrum (and if this is your first time here, we take the stance that If You Have A Body, You're An Athlete.  That makes EVERYONE an athlete, and from this point forward, that's how we address you.) all of us require energy to live, function and pursue our goals.

How MUCH energy one requires differs from person to person.  It’s gonna depend on a few things, but certainly we can all agree the more active we are the more energy our bodies use, right?

The amount of energy your body requires to do certain things is called your ENERGY DEMAND.  

This is where Nutrition and Hydration come in.  They are the energy sources your body uses to do stuff.

In other words, they are FUEL. ⛽️ 

Now I come from an Italian Family, and we’re pretty serious about food.  Serious in that EVERY OCCASION IN LIFE CENTERS AROUND FOOD. 

But this is not about Family traditions, this is about understanding how your body uses fuel, and to a larger extent, how-to fuel it so that you can do what you want to do and get the RESULTS that you want.  

This is a HUGE topic; one we’re gonna break down into easy-to-digest bite-sized pieces.

A lot of people have the wrong information about how your body works, especially when it comes to how your body uses fuel/energy.  

ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS IS ABOUT BODY FAT AS AN ENERGY SOURCE.

Have you ever said or heard someone say, “I don’t need to eat because I’ve got enough fat on my body to last a lifetime.”?

While they are correct in their thinking that body fat IS energy, where they go wrong is thinking that their body will automatically and immediately use it. 

CHECK THIS OUT:  

What gives you quicker energy:  sugar or butter?

This isn’t a trick question.  I know I usually ask you questions to get you to grow, but for once I’m not messing with you. 

What gives you quicker energy:  Sugar or Butter?

SUGAR. 

 Ok then, let’s draw the analogy to your body.

When your body wants to do stuff, it wants energy NOW.  (Oh yeah, it’s all about IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION!)

Just like you technically could get energy from eating butter (because it’s a fat), the sugar (which is a carb) works FASTER.

Inside of your body, it’s the same.  

Your body goes on a mad fast hunt for NOW ENERGY.  

The first place it looks to get it from is your blood stream.

If you haven’t eaten, there’s not enough blood sugar to supply you with energy.

So guess what? 

It goes to the next in line which is stored energy in your muscles and liver. 

(What you should know, though, is that it actually takes MORE ENERGY to break into those storage sites, which worsens your energy problem.  Hey-don’t shoot the messenger.) 

Which is fine if you’ve got some in there.  

But what if you DON’T, because you’ve been operating under the premise that you can use your body fat reserves to supply your needs?

 Good News!  You have an untapped energy source that can be used AND it’s WAY faster and easier to get at than your fat stores!!

 Wanna know what it is?

Wait for it....

Wait for it...

It’s your MUSCLE. 

YES- your body will chew up your muscle because it’s made of an amazing energy source:  PROTEIN. 

AND- protein can be turned into carbohydrate, which makes it even more attractive!

Bye-bye hard earned Gainz!

Adios Anabolism! 

“Say hello to my leeetle friend,” called CATABOLISM.

Aka muscle wasting. 

But don’t worry...you get 2 consolation prizes:

You get weak AND as an extra added bonus...you train your body to think it’s starving and it holds onto your body fat even TIGHTER. 

IT’S NOT CRAZY, IT’S PHYSIOLOGY.