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bit as important as their weight. That’s For example, our model predicts that
because how much muscle you have a woman weighing 155 pounds (70
affects how hungry you get, as well as kilograms) with 30% body fat currently
how many calories you burn. Muscle mass accumulates an average of about 8,700
requires energy to maintain, and this steps per day. If she wants to lose about 10
requirement leads to increased appetite, pounds and reach a body fat percentage
which means taking in more calories. In around 25%, she could consult the model
this example, the heavier man probably and discover that people who maintain
eats more than the lighter man in order that body composition accumulate an
to maintain his lean muscle mass, and he average of about 545 steps per kilogram of
must walk more to maintain his lower fat per day. Since she currently has about
body fat percentage. 46 pounds (21 kilograms) of fat, her goal
If you want to lose body fat, and therefore would be to accumulate a total of 11,450
weight, you basically have two choices: steps per day.
You can eat less, or you can move more. While that may seem at first glance to
Eating less means you’ll be hungry a lot, be a sizable increase in daily steps, most
and that’s uncomfortable, unpleasant and, people can accumulate 1,000 steps in 10
for most people, not sustainable. Moving minutes or less. So even with a comfortable
more, on the other hand, can allow you to pace, this additional daily dose of walking
eat until you’re full and keep body fat off – would take fewer than 30 minutes.
or even lose it. Furthermore, steps can be accumulated
Therefore, we wanted to know how much throughout the day, with longer or more
a person who eats until they’re full might frequent trips, or both, to restrooms,
have to move to offset the calories they’re vending machines and the like.
eating. While steps certainly can be accumulated
in dedicated walking sessions, such as a
Step counts for weight loss 15-minute walk during lunch hour and
Currently, our model applies to young another 15-minute walk in the evening,
adults, but we are now collecting data they can also be accumulated in shorter,
for middle-aged and older adults too. To more frequent bouts of activity.
use this model, you need to first have Researchers have learned a great deal
your body composition determined, a in the past 70 years about appetite and
service that is being offered by increasing energy expenditure: Appetite imposes a
numbers of fitness centers and medical drive for food based largely on our fat-free
practices. With our model, you must mass, no matter how active or inactive
determine your body weight and fat we are, and we must accumulate enough
weight in kilograms – to do this, simply physical activity to counter the calories
divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. that we take in through our diet if we want
With this information in hand, our model to maintain an energy balance – or exceed
can provide a step count target that is our intake to lose weight.
specific to a person’s current body weight
and body fat percentage, and their goal for This article is republished with permission
fat loss and weight reduction. from theconversation.com
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