Female
Body Sculpting is a concerted effort on behalf of an individual
to seek perfection with regard to her physique. Women who want a
sculpted body focus on burning fat and building lean muscle.
Healthy dietary practices, cardiovascular exercise and strength
training make up a well-rounded female body sculpting program.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of
30 minutes of cardio five days a week and at least two days a
week of strength training. Many female athletes perform much
more than the minimum recommended amount when trying to sculpt
their bodies, and 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day may be
necessary, according to the ACSM.
Facts about Body Sculpting
Reduce your caloric intake while trying to shed body fat. Try a
moderate caloric reduction of 20 to 25 percent, recommends Tom
Venuto, author of "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle." A 25 percent
reduction equates to eating about 500 fewer calories a day for
most women. This will enable weight loss but provide enough
energy to adhere to an exercise regimen.
Features of Body Sculpting
A female body-sculpting diet consists of healthy, whole foods,
which are also referred to as clean foods. Focus on foods such
as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources,
according to the Weight-control Information Network. Protein, an
important macronutrient in a body-sculpting diet, helps repair
and build muscle. Adult females should consume approximately 46g
of protein a day, according to the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academies.
Exercise for Body Sculpting
Perform regular aerobic exercise and strength training exercises
to burn calories and build lean muscle. Work each large muscle
group of the body at least twice a week on nonconsecutive days,
according to the American Council on Exercise. Perform eight to
12 repetitions of your chosen exercises, and increase the amount
of weight by 5 to 10 percent when an exercise becomes too easy
to perform, ACE recommends.
Benefits of Body Sculpting
Decreasing body fat, building muscle and maintaining a healthy
body weight provide numerous health benefits in addition to a
lean physique. Weight loss can help prevent diabetes, heart
disease, some types of cancer and high cholesterol, according to
the Weight-control Information Network. Strength training
increases muscle and bone strength, reduces the risk of injury,
increases metabolism and improves the quality of life, according
to ACE.
Considerations for Body Sculpting
Consistency remains key to losing weight, so stay committed to
your body-sculpting diet for long-term benefits. Consider
motivation techniques such as working out with a partner,
joining a support group or obtaining health coaching to increase
weight-loss success. Health coaching may dramatically increase
long-term weight loss and help you improve eating habits and
physical activity levels, according to Stay Well Health
Management.
Body Sculpting with Low Carb Diet
One popular recommendation for weight loss is going "low carb."
The range for what exactly constitutes low-carb varies among
different individuals, but in general the target range runs
between eating fewer than 50-150 grams of carbs per day. Fifty
grams of carbs is equal to about one cup of raisin bran cereal
or two slices of bread. It's not difficult to hit that target in
one meal, or even a snack. To replace your carb-noshing habits,
you'd have to include higher amounts of good fats and protein in
your diet.
While many people advocate eating a low-carb diet for weight
loss, it's not always ideal. Weight loss may come easily at
first, but chronically low amounts of carbohydrates could have
negative downstream effects in the long run. A woman's
delicately balanced hormone system can be disrupted by low carb
availability, which could bring about unwanted side effects like
loss of bone density and chronic sleep deprivation. On a low-carb
diet, some women may experience stopped or irregular periods
because the body perceives chronically low energy levels as
starvation and stress.
That said, some women can thrive on a low-carb diet. If you want
to experiment with low carbohydrates, it's important to monitor
your body's response closely.
Body Sculpting considering Your Body Type and Nutrition
The ratio of how many calories you get from proteins, carbs, and
fats is important to your body composition. The general
macronutrient composition split is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent
fat, and 30 percent protein, but that ratio doesn't work for
everybody. For a more accurate and personal macronutrient ratio,
it's a good idea to figure out your body type.
An individual's body type is more than just physique; it
provides crucial information on how your body responds to and
processes the macronutrients.
Body types are classified into three categories:
Ectomorph
In general, ectomorphs are lean with smaller bone structures and
limbs, have a high metabolism, and can tolerate higher amounts
of carbohydrates. They look like: long-distance runners.
Recommended macronutrients ratio: 50% carbohydrates, 30%
protein, 20% fat.
Mesomorph
Mesomorphs tend to marry the best of both worlds, offering
balanced abilities to gain muscle and stay lean relatively
easily. They are of medium sized bone structure and look
athletic. They look like: bodybuilders, gymnasts. Recommended
macronutrients ratio: 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, 30% fat.
Endormorph
Endormorphs are built to be larger and more powerful. They tend
to have larger bone structures for strength. Because of their
size, they do better on a higher fat and a lower carbohydrate
intake.They look like: powerlifters. Recommended macronutrients
ratio: 25% carbohydrates, 35% protein, 40% fat.
People often display mixed characteristics.
Body Sculpting with Portion Control
Calorie counting is a popular technique to keep track of portion
sizes and the amount of calories in them. This meticulous
record-keeping of daily food intake certainly has its benefits,
but who wants to maintain spreadsheets of their food for the
rest of their lives?
Calorie counting should not be a life-long endeavor. It just
doesn't effectively work in the long term. Studies show that
calorie counting is prone to inaccuracy by upward of 25
percent�even if you triple-check your calculations and sources!
The discrepancy arises from measurement errors on food labels,
serving sizes and measurements which are impossible to reproduce
consistently, different food quality, and a whole lot of
guesswork.
A more manageable way to track your eating habits is to identify
reasonable portion sizes. Most restaurants in America shove
heaping piles of food in your face to appeal to your economical
compass. More food means more value for your money, right?
Getting more Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp for your buck merely
means you pay for it elsewhere, like your waistline. And it's
not just at restaurants. People pile their plates high with
Grandma's spaghetti even when they're at home.
Studies have shown that when given enormous food portions,
people will override their internal satiety systems and gobble
up every last morsel long after they "feel" full�and not really
realize they're doing it.
Eating until you feel "full" is not always the best way to
determine your portion sizes. Instead, we recommend using the
most convenient and personalized measurement tool at your
disposal: your hands
Use your palm to determine your protein intake
Use your balled fist to determine your vegetables
Use your cupped hand to determine your carbs
Use your thumb to determine your fat
Assuming you eat approximately four meals per day, here's the
portion recommendation at each meal:
For Ectomorphs
2 cupped hands of carbs
1 palm of protein
1 balled fist of veggies
1/2 thumb of fat
For Mesomorphs
1 cupped hand of carbs
1 palm of protein
1 balled fist of vegetables
1 thumb of fat
For Endormorphs
1/2 cupped hand of carbs
1 palm of protein
1 balled fist of vegetables
2 thumbs of fat
These are good general guidelines because your hands are
proportional to your body size. Be flexible and adjust your
portions according to how you feel and the way you look. For
example, if you've been gaining unwanted weight, try reducing
your carbs to half of your cupped hands per meal and your fat to
half of your thumb.
Body Sculpting perfection in a women is a lifestyle change and a
combination of disciplined diet and exercise routine. It leads
to the perfect body that people appreciate and brings pride to
oneself.