How Do Calories Turn to Body Fat?

Did you know that every year almost 300,000 preventable deaths occur due to obesity-related complications, which makes obesity the second highest cause of preventable demise? Because of the serious health risks associated with being obese and overweight, you should understand exactly how your body gains weight and how many calories it takes for your body to start accumulating caloric energy as fat cells. By having a better understanding on how your body gains fat cells you may use this information to safely eradicate and prevent fat gain.

How Many Calories are in 1 Pound of Fat?

According to researchers at the University of New Mexico, one pound of actual body fat is comprised of 4,086 calories; however, the entire fat cell is not just fat - each cell also contains protein, water and minerals that also contain calories. Thus, one pound of body fat only contains 3,500 calories.

When Do Calories Turn To Fat?

When you eat food, your body either utilizes the incoming calories for energy or they are stored as fat cells to be used at a later time. According to Dr. David Katz, your body starts the storage process within four to eight hours after you begin eating.

The first 1,000 calories you consume in a day is stored within your muscles or liver as immediate energy stashes, which transfers the calories into glycogen. After the stored glycogen is utilized, your body then calls upon the calories stored within your fat cells to provide energy. It is during this phase that your fat cells are emptied, and over time this continual emptying action will reduce your weight.

How to Promote Fat Calorie Loss?

Of course, following a reduced calorie diet will lower the number of calories being converted into fat cells; however, if you want to deplete existing fat cells you must perform regular aerobic and strength training exercises.

According to researchers at the Georgia State University Department of Kinesiology and Health, aerobic activity enhances overall oxygen delivery to fat cells while releasing fatty acids into your muscles. The end result of this action is fat cells are able to be easily transported for energy. Aerobic activity is any activity that increases your breathing and heart rate, which include: jumping rope, bicycling, swimming, jogging and stair-climbing. The Mayo Clinic suggests performing 150 minutes of moderately-intense aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise each week.

Strength training is just as vital for weight loss as aerobic activity as one pound of muscle requires 30 to 50 calories per day to simply sustain. Using this information, the more muscle mass within your body, the more calories you will automatically burn without having to do any extra exercise or dieting. For example, if you add 10 pounds of muscle mass to your body, you will automatically burn 300 to 500 extra calories per day.

References Used:

http://www.omahamedicine.com/health_risks_of_obesity.html

Internal Medicine: What is Obesity?

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/fatfacts.html

University of New Mexico: Fat Facts

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/The-Way-to-Eat-with-Dr-David-Katz_3

O, The Oprah Magazine: The Way to Eat

http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/aerobice.html

Georgia State University Department of Kinesiology and Health: What is Aerobic Exercise?

http://www.shapefit.com/exercise-questions-pound-muscle-burn-calories.html

Shape Fit: Exercise Questions

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/epocarticle.html

University of New Mexico: Exercise After-Burn - Research Update

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aerobic-exercise/AN01947

Mayo Clinic: Which is Better - 30 Minutes of Aerobic Exercise…