What is Metabolism and can you change it?

I hear this a lot - I can't lose weight because I have a a slow metabolism.

Do you wonder, is this true; are you stuck with your metabolism or can you give it a boost? 

What is metabolism?

The standard measurement for metabolism is called the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) also known as resting metabolism. This describes the minimum amount of calories needed to simply keep your body going, sustaining vital functions such as digestion, breathing and heartbeat.

BMR varies a lot between different people. For example, some overweight individuals may not consume very many calories.  The reason for being overweight may be a low level of physical activity or a very low BMR.

BMR on average accounts for around 1200-1400 calories per day in women, and 1400-1800 calories in men. This is the number of calories it takes for you to stay alive. Many factors affect BMR, such as:

Lean Muscle Mass - Men tend to have more lean muscle in their bodies than women. Lean muscle requires more calories, so men’s BMR is greater than women’s.

Age. Because of the increased activity of cells undergoing division, the younger the person, the faster their metabolism. There is also age related muscle loss (also known as scarpenia).  There is therefore a decline in BMR associated with aging and muscle loss of approximately 2% for every 10 years after age 30.  This is what we call "age related weight gain".  This is preventable by keeping lean muscle mass or adding to it as we age.

Weight. The heavier a person is, the higher their energy requirements, so they need more calories to keep their body functioning and moving. 

Environmental temperature. People living in tropical or very cold climates tend to have BMR’s 5 – 20% higher than those living in moderate climates.

Can you increase your metabolism?

You know I always have the same answer - Exercise!!!!

Choosing the appropriate exercise program will increase the amount lean body mass (LBM) you have. LBM is made up of your muscles, bones, organs and the fat stored in your heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, muscles, nervous system and bone marrow.

The greater the muscle component of  your LBM, the higher your metabolic rate will be and THAT MEANS more calories are burned.  

If I am a fleshy, soft 180 pounds and you are a lean and strong 180 pounds, it will take more calories for you to maintain your weight than me.  

Men usually have a higher LBM (and therefore a higher metabolic rate) than women by virtue of their larger muscles. Some female athletes, however, such as swimmers and shot putters, may have a higher LBM than a male of equal weight. 

Certain exercise protocols - especially metabolic programs like at AllyFitness - can increase your metabolic rate for up to 48 to 72  hours after you’ve finished working out, depending on how strenuous the exercise was. Regular cardio does not have the benefit of the after-burn, but will increase your metabolism.  Without exercise your metabolism slows down.

Making sure you are properly hydrated will also help boost your metabolism.  You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day.  So if you weight 150 pounds - you should be drinking 75 ounces of water daily.

What can SLOW your metabolism down?

Crash diets - or just plain consuming too few calories!  When you try to lose weight by drastically cutting calories, you actually lose muscle from your LBM as well as body fat. This has the effect of slowing down your metabolism.  Make sure you keep calories at the appropriate level for you and include exercise.

Remember - our bodies have not evolved that much from the cave man days.  So, when you begin to drastically cut your calories, your body think you are in a  “famine” situation. In an effort to survive, the body dramatically reduces its metabolic rate within 24-48 hours after you start dieting. The reduction in basal metabolic rate can be as high as 45%! This is exactly the opposite of what you want for long-term weight control.  

Repeated bouts of severe calorie restriction can actually have a drastic long-term effect on your metabolism and weight loss. 

So....eat often, eat quality foods and exercise!  It isn't rocket science.

QUIT  reading all the news on the latest fad diet or weight loss product.  You need fuel your body nutrients and exercise your muscles.  Just Do IT!