Article 23: Slowed Metabolism, Body Shape Changes-Lower Body Obesity and Apple-Shaped Body

Slower metabolism, body shape changes

I often hear people say that people who weren't originally overweight suddenly gain weight and can no longer fit into their old clothes, even without changing their lifestyle or overeating. What's going on? Actually, it's the same reason-metabolism.

Metabolism works tirelessly, without your conscious awareness, to convert the food you eat into energy, and uses this energy to maintain your heartbeat, lung contractions, and muscle movement.

Many people have a normal weight, but they are still troubled because a normal weight does not mean a perfect figure. Excluding medical conditions, many people have a very thin waist and thick legs, which is a typical pear-shaped body; while many others have a very thick waist and thin limbs, a body type commonly known as an apple-shaped body.

People with pear-shaped bodies often experience swelling in their lower body, and there are many reasons for this. The first is prolonged standing. Many people's jobs require them to stand for long periods, and maintaining the same posture for extended periods can cause swelling in the legs.

Whether at home or in the office, many people like to cross their legs, unaware that this seemingly comfortable posture can hinder blood and lymph circulation in the legs, causing lower body swelling. If we don't take proper care of the swelling, the veins in the lower limbs will gradually become prominent, severely affecting lower body circulation, leading to increased fat, and even muscle stiffness.

From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, people with lower body obesity often have a cold and damp constitution. Coldness refers to poor blood circulation, and dampness refers to excess water in the body that cannot be properly metabolized. Cold and dampness not only cause obesity, but due to long-term poor blood circulation and slow metabolism, it can also lead to malignant tumors and seriously affect health.

How can we avoid and improve lower body obesity?

Maintain proper standing and sitting posture

When walking or sitting, maintain proper posture. The correct walking posture is: chest out, abdomen in, concentrating your strength in your abdomen, heels touching the ground, and toes firmly planted. After walking like this for a while, the fat on your thighs will gradually decrease. The same applies when sitting; maintain an upright posture, chest out, and avoid slouching, otherwise your body will unconsciously concentrate a lot of strength in your lower back.

Do leg raises frequently

Regularly raising your legs can improve blood flow, promote blood circulation and metabolism, and help create a perfect figure.

Change positions frequently

You should move around and change your posture every hour to prevent blood flow obstruction and thus hinder metabolism.

Soaking feet frequently

There are many acupoints on the soles of the feet, and soaking the feet can stimulate these acupoints, massage the soles, and promote blood circulation. Adding ginger or mugwort to the foot bath can enhance the metabolic effect. However, it is important to note that the water temperature should not be too high when soaking the feet.

Choose appropriate clothing

Sexy clothing attracts attention and showcases a woman's confidence and charm, so many women choose jeans, shapewear, tight-fitting clothes, mini skirts, and sleeveless tops. However, these garments can actually contribute to lower body weight gain. Overly tight clothing restricts leg movement and hinders blood circulation in the waist and legs; short skirts can also expose the legs to cold, similarly affecting blood circulation and leading to fat accumulation. Therefore, to prevent lower body weight gain, it's essential to keep your legs warm and avoid wearing overly tight skirts and pants.

Perform interval training

To boost your metabolism, try doing high-intensity workouts every few minutes. Increasing interval training burns more calories and is a great way to improve your metabolism.

For a simple example, you can walk slowly for 2 minutes, then jog or briskly walk for 1 minute instead of walking at a steady pace. Repeating this walking pattern for 20-30 minutes can help boost your metabolic rate and burn fat efficiently. The underlying principle is simple: find ways to "discomfort" your body, constantly "provoking" it and giving it more stimulation, leading to better weight loss results. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) provides the body with high-intensity stimulation in a very short time, achieving efficient fat burning.

People with an apple-shaped body tend to have their obesity concentrated in the waist and abdomen, often referred to as a "spare tire" or abdominal fat. Abdominal fat differs significantly from subcutaneous fat; it is more harmful and releases more harmful factors, making individuals more susceptible to hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, gallstones, and hyperuricemia. This type of obesity can also negatively impact internal organs, posing a serious risk.

Besides genetic factors, the main reasons for developing an apple-shaped body are poor eating habits, insufficient physical activity, and sedentary lifestyles.

Overeating, excessive dieting, and other unhealthy eating habits can all lead to obesity around the waist and abdomen. Indulging in large meals when you see your favorite foods, or using food to relieve stress, can unknowingly cause your waist to expand significantly. These unhealthy eating habits are difficult to change, and over time, your metabolism slows down, making weight loss even more difficult.

Modern work is becoming increasingly mechanized, resulting in less physical labor. Less exercise means fewer opportunities to boost metabolism, making it harder to lose fat. Studies show that people who sit most of the time are considered sedentary, with a basal metabolic rate of 20%–40%; those who walk daily are considered lightly active, with a basal metabolic rate of 55%–65%; those who do vigorous exercise daily are considered moderately active, with a basal metabolic rate of 70%–75%; and those who engage in daily physical training or heavy manual labor are considered heavily active, with a basal metabolic rate of 80%–100%.

A sedentary lifestyle and a lack of physical activity are two different concepts. People with a sedentary lifestyle may not lack physical activity. For example, many people spend their working hours sitting upright due to the nature of their jobs, such as long-distance bus drivers and office typists. Although these people can use their time after get off work to do some moderate physical exercise, this cannot completely compensate for the damage to their bodies caused by sitting for long periods during the day, especially the gradual accumulation of abdominal fat.

How can we avoid and improve this type of obesity?

Chew slowly

Chewing slowly and thoroughly while eating can increase satiety. Developing this habit not only helps you control your food intake and reduce calorie intake, but also allows you to enjoy the deliciousness of food more fully.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals

Eating smaller, more frequent meals is also an ideal way to control weight. Eating smaller meals at each meal and having more meals throughout the day helps with food absorption and digestion. This slow weight loss method can promote metabolism and help eliminate excess body fat.

Slow down

The fast pace of modern city life is a major contributor to obesity. If you want to lose weight, start by slowing down! Take some time to go for a walk, listen to music, or take a bath to relax and make slowing down a helpful part of your weight loss journey.

Drink an appropriate amount of water

Water plays a crucial role in metabolism, so it's essential to drink enough water daily. Adults should aim for 2000-3000 ml of water per day. It's important to note that excessive water intake should be avoided, as it can overburden the kidneys.

Take a deep breath

Breathing patterns do indeed affect metabolism. Breathing delivers fresh oxygen to the lungs, where gas exchange removes waste and carbon dioxide, purifying the blood and promoting metabolism and circulation. In fact, the body itself is a chemical machine that generates heat; every chemical reaction produces a byproduct-heat. Inside cells, food acts as fuel, and oxygen fuels the metabolic fire. Each deep breath delivers more oxygen to the blood vessels and cells, generating the energy to burn heat.

As we age, experience increased stress, and develop unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits, our metabolism gradually declines. This decline not only leads to poorer physical health and weight gain, but also causes various skin problems. Boosting metabolism is not only a prerequisite for a good figure, but also a guarantee of youth!