subject: Metabolism And Weight Loss [print this page] Metabolism And Weight Loss Metabolism And Weight Loss
Metabolism is the rate at which your body uses energy, or, burns calories.
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy.
Your resting metabolism measures the number of calories required to keep your body functioning.
Energy metabolism is the body's process of breaking down nutrients and converting them to energy.
During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function. Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for all its "hidden" functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells.
While everyone's metabolism works the same way, the rate at which it metabolizes nutrients is unique to every individual.
In general, the more muscle we have, the higher our metabolic rate; the less muscle we have, the lower our metabolic rate. This explains why men, who have a high proportion of muscle, have a faster metabolism than women, and why a 20-year-old has a higher metabolism than a 70-year-old - again, they have more muscle.
Ultimately, muscle burns a lot more calories than fat so when we lose muscle, our metabolic rate drops and we burn fewer calories. In fact, research shows that the body loses a proportionately high amount of muscle with a very low calorie intake and this may considerably suppress metabolism by up to 45 percent.
Exercise and diet boost your resting metabolic rate, which is the rate at which your body burns calories every day just through the process of staying alive. By boosting your metabolism, you increase the amount of calories you burn during rest or normal activity, which aids in your weight loss. Resting metabolic rate also plays a large role in keeping lost weight off. But ultimately exercise and diet are what determine how much you weigh.
Increase Metabolism
Eat Regularly: Though it can be tempting, it is important not to restrict the amount of food you are eating. Don't skip meals as this will trick your metabolism into starvation mode. Instead focus on eating three healthy meals a day, and at least two snacks. Try to eat lots of vegetables and fruits, along with healthy portions of protein and carbohydrates.
Exercise: It is essential that you increase your amount of lean muscle mass if you want to speed up metabolism. Focus on performing strength-training exercises in order to build your muscle. Pair these exercises with regular aerobics programs, which will help you to burn excess fat and calories.
The body's metabolic rate is not normally modified unless there is an existing disorder that requires medical treatment. It is something that varies from one person to another and affected by many factors, such as age, sex, and amount of lean body mass (muscle).
Everyone's focus should be on a healthy weight, one where you feel vital and energetic, not an ideal seen in magazines. With wholesome eating habits and other measures such as not smoking, drinking or using drugs, avoiding risky behaviours, getting enough sleep, stress management, moderate exercise and stretching, and working towards mental and emotional maturity, you will start on a lifetime of wellness, whether you are trying to loss or gain weight.
