Can’t seem to get down to your ideal weight?
Sadly, you can’t blame your metabolism.
Hey guys, Amy here on DNews talking about metabolism.
We hear a lot about metabolism, mainly in the form of people blaming a slowing metabolism
for weight gain as they get older.
But what exactly is your metabolism, and can you do anything to change it?
Metabolism is the biochemical process by which your body converts the foods you eat into
energy, but it’s more than fueling an active lifestyle.
There are a lot of “hidden” processes going on in your body all the time that require
energy, the basic functions you don’t think about like breathing, circulating blood throughout
your body, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells.
The calories in food and drinks combine with oxygen to release the energy your body needs
to function.
The calories your body needs to power these basic functions tells you your basal metabolic
rate, the base rate at which your body uses calories for fuel, and it’s wholly separate
from any active aspects of your lifestyle.
Basal metabolic rate is properly the amount of energy your body expends at rest in a neutrally
temperate environment so when you’re not shivering or sweating, and in a post-absorptive
state, that is, when the digestive system is inactive, so typically after fasting for
about 12 hours.
In this completely passive, almost weakened state, you can determine the absolute minimal
number of calories your body needs to function.
It’s a number that depends on your body size and composition, your gender, and even
your age.
And it can change over time.
As we get older and have less lean muscle on our bones, your basal metabolic rate can
slow down.
But don’t worry!
You can help your metabolism along just a little bit with everybody’s favourite: diet
and exercise.
Sadly there’s no magic formula.
Your body burns more calories to maintain lean muscle than fat, so people you might
think of as having a fast metabolism might just be more active, or even just more fidgety
than others.
So if you want to increase the rate at which your body burns calories, building muscle
through strength training and increasing your cardiovascular workouts will certainly help,
as will any increased physical activity like taking the long route on your walk home or
taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
There are a few things you can do diet-wise to help.
Eating more often can actually help you lose weight by keeping your body working throughout
the day metabolizing calories into energy burning more calories.
It can also help you eat less at mealtimes so you’re taking in fewer calories in general.
Spicy foods can help.
They have natural chemicals that can kick your metabolism into high gear though the
boost might be short lived.
Your body also burns more calories digesting protein than fatty foods or carbohydrates.
Eating lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat
dairy products can boost your metabolism.
But at the end of the day, there are genetic and lifestyle factors that you can’t help.
The best thing to do is to eat right and work out, increasing the number of calories your
body burns compared to the calories you’re taking in.
So, are you guys moved to start taking the hard steps to help your metabolism along?