Beating The Scale

Having been on a diet or two myself over the years, I know how aggravating the morning ritual of stepping on an uncooperative scale can be. Though there is no escape from the need to reduce calories and increase activity to lose those extra pounds, the choice of the foods included in the diet play an important role because of the different manner in which our bodies handle fats and carbohydrates.
The statement by many people that the food goes directly from the mouth to the hips is not entirely wrong. The body coverts the fat in food into body fat with great ease, particularly when the meal also includes carbohydrates or sugars that provide the energy. When sugar enters the bloodstream it stimulates the release of insulin, which then activates the enzymes which help the passage of fat from the bloodstream into the fat cells. Even calorie-burning exercise can't prevent the fat from being stored in this way, and once it is in the cells it is very difficult to shed. But carbohydrates are stored first as glycogen, much of it in the liver.
Although the capacity for glycogen storage is limited, the body can expand its capacity in individuals who exercise. When the maximum is reached, then the body may increase your metabolic rate and burn off additional carbohydrates. It is only when these two mechanisms are overburdened by the quantities of carbohydrates coming into the system, that conversion to fat takes place. So the answer may be to reduce your fat intake to the minimum, and utilize carbohydrates to provide the calories you need for energy and work. In practical terms, you may eat the potato without the butter, and the pasta without the Alfredo! Add a modest portion of protein, maintain a comfortable exercise program, stir in a bit more patience, and you have the formula for beating the battle of the scale.