For many people, weight gain is a challenging aspect of aging and an area of overall health and wellness that they continue to struggle with. Most blame weight gain on a slow metabolism, but what does that mean? Is metabolism the culprit? And if so, can you revamp your metabolism to burn more calories?
Metabolism in weight loss can be the reason for weight issues but can also be the answer. Contrary to common belief, slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain. Although your metabolism influences your body’s primary energy needs, what and how much you consume, coupled with how much exercise you get, are the things that ultimately determine metabolism in weight loss.
Several aspects must be examined for people wanting to learn more about metabolism in weight loss.
First, how does metabolism affect weight loss? A person with a slow metabolism burns fewer calories and stores more fat in the body. This is a big reason why some people find it difficult to lose weight by just cutting calories. Alternatively, a fast metabolism burns calories quicker, leading to weight loss.
Secondly, it’s important to understand the process of metabolism as there are two main parts. The first is anabolism. The process of anabolism helps the body grow new cells, store energy, and maintain body tissues. The other is catabolism. Catabolism breaks down carbohydrate molecules and fat to release energy to fuel the anabolic process.
Metabolism in weight loss also depends on each person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) and how the body processes daily calorie intake. Calories are calculated by your intake of foods and how your body processes them. The BMR is the rate at which your body burns calories and accounts for roughly 50-80 calories per hour in most people, with 1,200 to 1,920 calories burned all day.
Work it out
Physical activity is the most relative variable in determining how many calories you burn daily. The second is the amount of physical activity and exercise you get each day. Jogging, walking, playing with your dogs, or any other movement is considered exercise. Just think of your exercise by the number of steps you take each day. These are areas of vital importance for metabolism and weight loss.
When outlining metabolism in weight loss, scientists call non-deliberate activity or exercise non-exercised activity thermogenesis (NEAT). This activity includes walking around the house, gardening, and even fidgeting. Depending on the person, NEAT accounts for about 100 to 800 calories used daily.
The balancing act of metabolism and weight loss
When understanding metabolism in weight loss, how deprivation of food or sleep affects your metabolism is another factor to consider. Regardless of your weight or goals for weight management, eating too little can slow the rate at which your body burns calories. For instance, some think skipping breakfast and lunch and eating dinner is a good weight loss program. For metabolism in weight loss, this isn’t always the case. When you do consume food, the body tries to reserve every calorie. Not eating all day sends signals from your brain to your body that there’s a food shortage, so your metabolic rate goes very low to conserve the energy stored.
To begin implementing a regimen to address metabolism in weight loss, you should aim to eat three or four small meals a day, mainly vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Finally, ensure you get lots of sleep – seven to nine hours – each night. Sleep deprivation can cause your body to over-produce insulin, leading to increased fat storage and yet another hurdle in your quest for overall health and wellness.
Balancing the act of metabolism and weight loss is a disciplined approach. The more you know the better, and I encourage you to keep reading and researching to find the best diet and metabolism regimen. This includes my book, “Metabolism & Medicine,” available on Amazon.