How Does Rest Affect Body Fat?
Let your body do its job if you allow yourself to rest
Reasons you will lose fat when you do less
1. Adequate Sleep Reduces Fat Accumulation
Hormonal Regulation: Sleep impacts hormones like leptin (which suppresses appetite) and ghrelin (which stimulates appetite). Poor sleep increases ghrelin and decreases leptin, leading to overeating.
Cortisol Levels: Lack of sleep elevates cortisol, a stress hormone that promotes fat storage, especially in the abdominal area.
2. Rest Supports Muscle Recovery and Fat Loss
During rest, especially after exercise, the body repairs muscle tissue and replenishes energy stores. Increased muscle mass boosts metabolism, helping the body burn more calories, even at rest.
Recovery from intense workouts allows the body to effectively utilize fat stores for energy.
3. Rest Reduces Stress and Emotional Eating
Chronic stress without adequate rest can lead to emotional eating and increased caloric intake. Rest and relaxation help manage stress and prevent overindulgence in high-calorie foods.
4. Improved Insulin Sensitivity
Sufficient rest enhances insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of storing excess glucose as fat. Poor rest can lead to insulin resistance, making fat loss more difficult.
5. Energy Balance and Fat Oxidation
Rest ensures energy balance by allowing the body to optimize fat oxidation (breaking down fat for energy) during both physical activity and recovery phases.
CASE STUDY _InBody Measurement Change in 4 weeks
InBody measurement_Dec
BODY COMPOSITION CHANGE
weight: lose 2.7 lb
dry lean mass: gain 0.2lb
fat: lose 4.2lb
How to understand the numbers
It is a direction of the change
The number is not equal to the reality
losing 4lb of body fat in 4 weeks requires 500 calorie deficit for 32 days. That was not my reality.
Routine in these 4 weeks
exercises
first 2 weeks, 5 days/week strength training
last 2 weeks, vacation during holiday, some stretch and mobility exercises
diet
follow the hunger cue, a balanced diet
no food restriction
active rest
spending time on hobbies during the holiday
journaling and meditation
staying reflective and introspective