Apparently there are times when it is less damaging:
RESEARCH UPDATE: When To Cheat On Your Diet
----------------------------------------------
"Here's the best time of day to eat when you want to cheat on
your diet..."
If you've been dieting for some time, chances are you've
developed the odd craving or two for a few of the foods on your
"banned" list.
Now, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine
have shown that the calories in a "cheat" meal may be less
likely to get stored as fat if you eat them after exercise.
The study showed that just one 60-minute workout could help to
"divert" fat and sugar into muscle, rather than fat tissue.
This should come as good news for anyone who's been dieting for
some time and wants to treat themselves without feeling guilty.
Specifically, the research team found that exercise increases
the activity of two enzymes -- GLUT-4 and lipoprotein lipase.
These enzymes are responsible for transporting glucose and fat
into your muscles.
Lipoprotein lipase (pronounced lie-po-protein lie-pace) plays an
important role in both the storage and oxidation of body fat.
When fat is oxidized, it means that it gets burned for energy.
If you oxidize more fat than you store, then eventually, you'll
lose weight.
Whether LPL promotes fat storage or fat oxidation depends on
whether it's expressed in muscle or fat.
* LPL in fat tissue takes fat from the blood, and stores it as
body fat.
* LPL in muscle tissue diverts fat away from storage in fat
tissue and towards oxidation.
Animal studies show that mice with high levels of LPL in their
muscles are resistant to the effects of a high-fat diet. Some
scientists think drugs that increase LPL in muscle could
represent one way to tackle the growing problem of obesity.
Of course, this doesn't mean that exercise gives you the freedom
to eat all you want. The key to losing weight is to burn more
calories than you get from your diet.
If you simply replace the extra energy you've expended during
exercise with additional calories from your diet, then your
weight won't change. And more than one or two "cheat" meals each
week can easily put the brakes on weight loss.
However, the bottom line is that the calories in a cheat meal
are less likely to be stored as fat if you eat them a few
hours after you exercise.
Reference
Greiwe, J.S., Holloszy, J.O., & Semenkovich, C.F. (2000).
Exercise induces lipoprotein lipase and GLUT-4 protein in muscle
independent of adrenergic-receptor signaling. Journal of Applied
Physiology, 89, 176-181
RESEARCH UPDATE: When To Cheat On Your Diet
----------------------------------------------
"Here's the best time of day to eat when you want to cheat on
your diet..."
If you've been dieting for some time, chances are you've
developed the odd craving or two for a few of the foods on your
"banned" list.
Now, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine
have shown that the calories in a "cheat" meal may be less
likely to get stored as fat if you eat them after exercise.
The study showed that just one 60-minute workout could help to
"divert" fat and sugar into muscle, rather than fat tissue.
This should come as good news for anyone who's been dieting for
some time and wants to treat themselves without feeling guilty.
Specifically, the research team found that exercise increases
the activity of two enzymes -- GLUT-4 and lipoprotein lipase.
These enzymes are responsible for transporting glucose and fat
into your muscles.
Lipoprotein lipase (pronounced lie-po-protein lie-pace) plays an
important role in both the storage and oxidation of body fat.
When fat is oxidized, it means that it gets burned for energy.
If you oxidize more fat than you store, then eventually, you'll
lose weight.
Whether LPL promotes fat storage or fat oxidation depends on
whether it's expressed in muscle or fat.
* LPL in fat tissue takes fat from the blood, and stores it as
body fat.
* LPL in muscle tissue diverts fat away from storage in fat
tissue and towards oxidation.
Animal studies show that mice with high levels of LPL in their
muscles are resistant to the effects of a high-fat diet. Some
scientists think drugs that increase LPL in muscle could
represent one way to tackle the growing problem of obesity.
Of course, this doesn't mean that exercise gives you the freedom
to eat all you want. The key to losing weight is to burn more
calories than you get from your diet.
If you simply replace the extra energy you've expended during
exercise with additional calories from your diet, then your
weight won't change. And more than one or two "cheat" meals each
week can easily put the brakes on weight loss.
However, the bottom line is that the calories in a cheat meal
are less likely to be stored as fat if you eat them a few
hours after you exercise.
Reference
Greiwe, J.S., Holloszy, J.O., & Semenkovich, C.F. (2000).
Exercise induces lipoprotein lipase and GLUT-4 protein in muscle
independent of adrenergic-receptor signaling. Journal of Applied
Physiology, 89, 176-181