4 Factors that Determine Fat Burning and Muscle Growth

The following four factors may be a bit different than what you normally hear about losing weight and gaining muscle. The general advice is to cut calories, eat healthy, drink lots of water and get plenty of exercise. All those things are important, but we will look more at what needs to be working properly in order for the fat to come off.

The thyroid glands' main function is to regulate fat burning. If the thyroid is sluggish it will not perform its duties very efficiently. If you feel a sluggish thyroid may be part of the problem with your battle of the bulge, you can help rev it up. Exercise is one good way to get the thyroid stimulated so it works better.

A homeopathic remedy for stimulating the thyroid is to tap it gently. The thyroid should be tapped 3 times a day with 10 taps per session. The thyroid is located in the neck just below the Adams apple. It is a butterfly shaped gland so tapping gently on both sides of the neck should be done.

Thermogenesis is another requirement for fat loss. Thermogenesis is the process of converting calories into heat. If calories aren't converted to heat they become stored body fat. Exercise helps your body get into Thermogenesis.

Metabolism is one of the major factors in weight gain or weight loss. Metabolism refers to the body's ability to convert calories into energy. A calorie is a measurement of heat energy. You need calories, but you need those calories to be converted into energy instead of stored as fat. Again, exercise is one way to rev up the body's metabolism so it turns calories into energy.

Burning fat requires that it be broken down before it can be used up by the body as energy. Traditional diets and exercise do work but this process takes time. Once the fat has been stored in the body it doesn't want to move out very quickly. Adding a strength training regime to your diet and exercise plan will help burn fat off quicker. Muscles use a lot of energy. If you have puny, weak muscles they don't burn fat like they should. Strong, toned muscles use more energy, even while you are resting.

Body fat has to be oxidized to be burned off. Fat burning works in the mitochondria. If it doesn't begin there it can't be used by the muscles as energy. Many things affect how fat is burned in the body, but once again, exercise is the best way to stimulate these processes without the use of drugs. Remember though, if you've been inactive for a long time this will be a slow process to get things working the way they should.