You may have heard that by following a proper diet and exercise program, you can actually turn body fat into muscle.
Not true. Fat and muscle are two separate entities. You must burn fat and build muscle.
Here's how fat is burned:
When you lose weight (by eating less and exercising more), an enzyme located in fat cells disassembles the fat compounds and sends the components into the bloodstream. Liver and muscle cells take up these components and disassemble them even further until what's left is a compound called acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA then enters the Krebs cycle, a series of chemical reactions that takes place in the mitochondria -- the cell's "power plant."
The end product is made up of...
• Carbon dioxide, which is expelled when you exhale.
• Water, which is lost as urine and perspiration.
• Heat, which helps maintain body temperature.
• ATP, the molecule that fuels cellular activities that require energy.
On the flip side, to build muscle you need to work those muscles on a regular basis (no pain, no gain)...and eat appropriate amounts of dietary protein. Your protein grams for the day should total about 50% of your body weight in pounds, unless you're a serious athlete, in which case your protein requirements should total about 50-80% of your body weight in pounds.
