| Understanding the theory of adaptation (see previous | | | | until it grabs its prey, which is usually pretty big. |
| article, Adaptation I will give you the tools to | | | | When it does, it wrestles with it for up to 10 |
| evaluate your diet and daily routine. If you have any | | | | minutes, flexing all its muscles and changing positions, |
| question about whether something is good for you, | | | | putting all its force against the other animal. This |
| always examine both the immediate effects and the | | | | builds muscular strength and size and eliminates body |
| adaptation effects equally. This article will look at | | | | fat. |
| various examples of adaptation and practical advice | | | | A gazelle spends a lot of time eating, but each |
| based on the theory. | | | | mouthful is tiny. It takes a long time to eat, and |
| Review: Adaptation is: | | | | never gorges. When the grass all around it is bare, it |
| A survival mechanism | | | | bounces off to another place to find food or water. |
| A reaction or response to everything | | | | The gazelle is highly alert because it is vulnerable to |
| Not under conscious control | | | | attack, and often twitches or fidgets to make sure it |
| Cellular | | | | can escape quickly. When it is attacked, it runs |
| Designed to make you better at whatever you're | | | | (bounces) incredibly fast for up to 20 minutes until it |
| doing | | | | is safely out of danger. This activity makes it long |
| (even if that's sitting on the couch) | | | | and slender as an adaptation to its environment. |
| Usually gradual | | | | Don't be a house cat. Many cats are overweight |
| Walking | | | | because their environment doesn't challenge them to |
| Is walking for a long time a good way of losing | | | | run to catch food (or avoid being caught), and sleep |
| weight? Look at it this way: the direct effect is that | | | | or lie around for 18 hours a day. If you have a |
| calories are burnt over that period, and you will by | | | | desk-job, and then watch TV on the couch, that is |
| using your fat stores for fuel because it is aerobic | | | | exactly what you are doing. |
| exercise. (See the article on Exercise, click here.) So | | | | Three Squares |
| that's a positive: you're burning calories, and as long | | | | Should you eat only three meals a day and avoid |
| as you don't eat too much food, you're losing weight. | | | | snacking to lose weight? Well, you will be consuming |
| But what will be the adaptation? You're telling your | | | | fewer calories, so that's a plus. However, the bigger |
| body that you will need to walk for a long amount of | | | | effect is this: your body will think food is rare and |
| time to find food. So, how will your body adapt to | | | | that you may starve. If you go 5 or 6 hours |
| make you a better walker? Expending energy faster? | | | | between meals, or if you skip breakfast and go 16 |
| Burning fat easily? NO WAY. If you need to walk | | | | hours or so without food, what else could your body |
| through the savanna for a long time, you want your | | | | possibly conclude? Your brain can't tell your cells |
| body to conserve as much energy (fat) as possible | | | | "don't worry, we're trying to lose weight," because |
| and retain as much water as possible. This is the | | | | your intentions don't mean anything to your organs. |
| opposite of your goal, you will not lose weight in the | | | | Your organs react and adapt to the stimuli presented |
| long-term, so you shouldn't do it. | | | | to them. So they think that you're in the desert. How |
| Sprinting | | | | do you survive in the desert? Conserve as much |
| What about high-intensity exercise? The immediate | | | | food in your body as possible (fat), slow your |
| effect is to burn calories in your blood, but there isn't | | | | metabolism to prolong your life (so you'll feel tired a |
| enough time to start burning fat. Your muscles may | | | | lot), and retain as much water as possible. |
| burn with lactic acid, and you can't keep it up for | | | | What about the opposite? What if you eat small |
| very long. That isn't too good, because you won't | | | | portions every two or three hours? Your body will |
| burn as many calories as you did walking. But is the | | | | think that you're in a place where there is food |
| adaptation going in the correct direction? Your body | | | | whenever you need it, like a jungle full of fruit trees |
| will try to make you a better runner by making | | | | and other easily furnished food to eat. What is the |
| calories available to you at a moment's notice to fuel | | | | reaction? Hooray! Better to speed up the metabolism, |
| your run (burning fat faster), and will try to get rid of | | | | so that the stomach is finished digesting the previous |
| the fat that is slowing you down. This is a great | | | | meal before the next one comes; no need to store |
| adaptation. | | | | fat that is just leeching circulation and water; and get |
| The best advice regarding exercise for weight loss in | | | | rid of any excess water in the system, because |
| accordance with adaptation is this: warm up by doing | | | | fresh water is constantly coming in. This is in line with |
| a fast walk for 10-15 minutes, so that your body | | | | your weight loss goals, so this is the route to take. |
| goes into a fat-burning mode. Then, turn up the | | | | Calories: Eat less or burn more? |
| intensity as high as you can and speed through the | | | | The final effect of your body's great adaptation |
| next 10-15 minutes. This can be running, climbing | | | | potential is the question of which is more effective: |
| stairs, bicycling or whatever activity you like. I | | | | eating fewer calories or burning more calories with |
| recommend a stationary bike because the risk of | | | | exercise? Let's look at these two propositions in |
| falling or hurting your joints is minimized. If you do | | | | terms of adaptation. |
| this before breakfast, you're also training your body | | | | If you first remove a significant number of calories |
| to use stored energy (fat) instead of energy from | | | | from your diet, you will feel less energetic (because |
| food in your stomach. | | | | calories are energy), therefore, you won't feel like |
| If You Could Be an Animal... | | | | exercising, and you won't be able to exercise for as |
| If your physique could resemble an animal's, which | | | | long. On the other hand, if you start exercising more |
| animal would you choose? Try to ignore symbolism, | | | | each day, it will make you hungrier (because your |
| and just pick an animal whose body composition | | | | body knows it's not getting enough calories to |
| you'd like to approach. Many men would choose a lion | | | | support this new activity), but as long as you try to |
| and many women would choose a gazelle. These | | | | keep your eating habits the same and pay attention |
| animals have adapted to get the bodies they have, | | | | to satiety (read my article on Satiety, click here), |
| and their adaptation, like yours, is based on how they | | | | you'll feel great, your endurance will improve and your |
| behave day to day. So how do these animals | | | | overall health will keep getting better. At that point, if |
| behave? We can't compare their diets, because a | | | | you reduce the calories in your diet, then you will be |
| gazelle is a herbivore, a lion is a carnivore, and | | | | able to cope with slightly less energy, because your |
| humans are omnivores. However, we can look at | | | | body will already be more efficient at using that |
| their exercise needs. | | | | energy to fuel your exercise. |
| A lion, to get food, has to sprint for up to 5 minutes | | | | |