subject: Are You a Voracious Eater? Don't Become a Sumo! [print this page] Are You a Voracious Eater? Don't Become a Sumo!
If you think you're far from the sumo figure and chuckling at the very thought of it, think again. Anybody can be sumo. Thin kids can grow unbelievably fat once they hit their adolescence --- if they fail to feed on the right food.3 Tips To End Up With A Sumo Body:No. 1 - Don't Eat BreakfastIn one particular biochemistry book I have, it states that if you withhold food from an animal, and then you feed it with a high-carb, low-fat diet, the rate at which the animal's body produces fat will increase. When you fail to eat breakfast, your body is unable to burn huge amounts of fat.In case you're wandering if there's any truth in all this, junior level sumo wrestlers are forbidden to eat breakfast because they need to put on as much weight as possible, and they need to do it quickly. The reasoning behind this is that it usually drives you to overeat later during the day, and that in turn will help to suppress your metabolism.The Solution: - Always eat breakfast, and do so within an hour of waking up. Breakfast should also be a relatively large meal, and perhaps even the largest one of the day. Your breakfast should also contain plenty of protein in order to keep your hunger at bay so that you aren't tempted to overeat during the remainder of the day.No.2 - Don't Eat Prior to a WorkoutWhile their appearance may suggest otherwise, sumo wrestlers do actually practice a lot of self discipline in their lives, and they certainly don't lie around doing nothing all day. They are doing endless exercises from dusk till dawn. Because rapid weight gain is so important to them, they always do their workouts on an empty stomach. This approach results in elevated cortisol levels, it increases appetite, and it minimizes the buildup of muscle.The Solution: - If your fitness routine includes early morning workouts then it's imperative that you have something to eat, either before you begin your workout, or during it. If your goal is to lose weight, then you only need to eat a small amount of whey protein and water. This allows your body to have essential fuel to sustain exercises without having to gain significant weight.No.3 - High-Carb and Low-Fat DietsThe Japanese have known for centuries already what sort of diet they should be on in order to pack on the pounds. Sumos are famed to have a low fat (16%) and high-sugar (57%) diet.In the biochemistry textbook I mentioned earlier, it states the following:A) "Fatty acid synthesis is maximal when carbohydrates and energy are plentiful and when fatty acids are scarce..."B) "Insulin stimulates fatty acid synthesis."C) "The hormone insulin inhibits the mobilization of fatty acids and stimulates their accumulation."Basically, when you consume carbohydrates in large amounts, insulin production increases, and the higher your level of insulin, the more difficult it is for your body to use up fat reserves. Increased insulin levels allow more fat storage.The Solution: - Simply cut down on the number of carbs you consume, and begin eating more fat. Overeating can be easy to do if you are on a low-carb, protein-rich diet. Let's face it; there are more chances for you to gobble up 6 muffins than having the appetite for 6 fried eggs and bacon.
