Why do Women’s Bodies Change Shape as they get Older?

Women are generally pear shaped, storing fat around the hips and thighs until after menopause, when their bodies tend to become more apple shaped, laying down fat around the middle. The change in fat distribution is brought about by the shift in hormonal make up at menopause, bringing women more in line with men in terms of fat related health risks for conditions such as heart disease.

While we all tend to put on between one and two kilos a year as we get older, a dramatic increase in body fat – especially abdominal fat – is never a good thing.

Should I Eat Before or After Exercise

It’s advisable to eat before you exercise but timing is important. A high carbohydrate low fiber snack about two hours before your workout is ideal – eating any later can make you feel terrible. Your body has an initial insulin spike after eating carbs, causing your blood sugar level to drop, but waiting those two hours gives your body a chance to get your blood sugar and insulin levels back to normal.

A post workout meal is also important to replenish the carbohydrate stores used up during exercise. A high carb meal with some protein is ideal, because protein facilitates the absorption of carbs.

Do Fat Cells Multiply?

Yes. Up until a few years ago it was thought the number of fat cells you had soon after birth was all you’d ever have and that they filled up and emptied out as you gained or lost weight. We know now that when there’s too much food in the body, fat cells get bigger and at some point stem cells in the fat tissue turn into additional mature fat cells themselves.

Can I Eat Three Meals a Day Instead of Several Smaller ones and still Lose Weight?

Smaller meals work better than bigger ones for most people. Smaller meals improve the metabolism and decrease the amount of insulin produced at one time. High insulin levels decrease the body’s ability to break down fat. Eating smaller meals will keep your blood sugar levels more constant and help prevent cravings.

Can I get Rid of Fat Cells Altogether?

A natural process called apoptosis, which causes cells in the body to die, also applies to fat cells. Obesity research is looking at whether we can trigger apoptosis in fat tissue. There’s a huge effort being made to develop these novel therapies because of the rise in obesity. Even a 10% weight reduction in someone who is overweight or obese can have a marked positive effect on the person’s health.

Is What I drink Important?

What you drink is very important, because fluids often carry a lot of kilojoules and sugar, and it’s possible to drink more kilojoules than you eat. The body also sees alcohol as a fuel source and fat breakdown is interrupted when you consume it. Your body consists of more than 80% water and you have to drink enough of it to help your kidney’s get rid of the by products of metabolism.

Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu.