What Is Metabolism And How Can It Impact Your Weight?
Just about everyone has at least one person in their life that can literally stuff his or her mouth with delicious high calorie foods like burgers a...
Just about everyone has at least one person in their life that can literally stuff his or her mouth with delicious high calorie foods like burgers and cake without gaining a single ounce. When asked about this, these people often attribute the inability to gain excess weight on their metabolism. Have you ever wondered if you increase metabolism you will decrease your weight? If you’ve ever thought about this and are wondering if you can lose more weight if you increase your metabolism, keep reading because we’re going to look at some interesting facts.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the process that the body used to turn calories into the energy that’s need for both physiological and non physiological functions.
Energy metabolism is the chemical process by which calories from the food we consume are converted into energy. This energy is then used for different bodily functions. This energy is constantly being used by the body to keep it functioning even when we’re at rest, allowing us to breathe, repair cellular damage, produce and distribute hormones, and pump blood through the body.
Each person has a unique metabolic rate that is defined as the number of calories the body needs to function while at rest. This is called the base metabolic rate. The base metabolic rate is calculated by multiplying the body weight by 10. For instance, a person that weighs 125 pounds will have a base metabolic rate of 1250 calories. Any calories that are consumed above the base metabolic rate will result in weight gain no matter what kinds of foods that are eaten.
Can you lose weight faster if you increase metabolism?
While the metabolic process is completely natural, and its fine tuned to meet the energy needs of different physiological systems, there are some factors that impact the metabolic rate including nutrients consumed, physical activity, gender, and age.
Individuals that have a high metabolic rate burn calories faster than individuals with slower metabolism. If two people were tested, one with a high metabolism and the other with a slow metabolism, the results would show that the person with a slow metabolism will burn calories slower than the individual with a high metabolic rate.
Can you really change or increase metabolism?
Yes, you can increase your metabolism and this will have a direct bearing on your weight loss goals. Among the various factors that impact the metabolic rate is aging. Most people find that it gets progressively hard to lose weight as they grow older; this can be attributed to a decreasing metabolic rate. However, there are some remarkably simple steps that can be taken to speed up your metabolism and keep obesity at bay. These include strength training and aerobic exercises which contribute greatly in boosting your metabolic rate.
Aerobics and strength training can help build more muscle in the body which will increase your metabolism. This happens because muscles require more energy for repair and maintenance than fatty tissue does. Some specific foods and nutritional supplements are known to effectively increase metabolism while decreasing weight.
Do you only have to increase metabolism to lose weight?
Even though increasing your metabolism can help you lose weight faster and reach your weight loss goals sooner, it’s unwise to rely solely on a higher metabolic rate for weight loss. There’s no way you should expect to lose weight while gorging yourself on sugar, carbohydrate, and fat laden foods simply because you’ve been able to increase metabolism.
Keep in mind that any calories above the amount needed by the body will be turned into fat and stored in the cells. If you consume calories that aren’t used by the body, you will either add unwanted inches to your waistline or have to find a way to burn these calories. For this reason, its very important to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise when you want to lose weight.
Talk to a dietitian about your daily nutritional needs and try not to consume more than the base calories required by your body. You don’t necessarily need to follow restrictive and stringent diet regimens or even resort to starving yourself; these will often adversely impact the body’s natural metabolic rate. Instead, go for a healthy diet that includes all types of nutritional groups.
Want to find out even more about , then visit Michael Gale’s site on 101 ways to for your free copy of Maximize Your Metabolism.