Globally, we`re constantly overwhelmed with highly, palatable cheap calories, and this has contributed to the ballooning of the obesity figures.
Interestingly, however, not everyone who indulges in binge eating becomes overweight. Conversely, we have come across individual who barely eat anything, but are always complaining about their weight.
Either way, the individuals in the above scenario end up saying “it`s not fair,” and surely it isn`t.
But this raises more questions on how our bodies react to food and drive us to the issue of metabolism and weight loss.
In this article, we shall explore everything you need to know about metabolism and explore the link that exists between metabolism and weight loss.
But first, it would be prudent we have a rudimentary understanding of the term metabolism.
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism is a chain of chemical reactions in a body that results to the creating and breaking down energy necessary for life.
Metabolic rate, on the other hand, refers to the rate at which you create and break down energy, or rather the rate at which your body expends energy in the form of burnt calories.
There`re various ways that our bodies can burn calories.
These methods include;
- Through the energy required to keep the body functioning at rest. This form of energy is also known as the basal metabolic rate(BMR)
- Through your everyday activities
- Through exercises
It`s important to note that metabolism is partly genetic and largely outside your control and this answers the question of the varying effects of the same food consumption by different individuals.
Some individuals inherited genes that promote a faster metabolism, meaning they can eat more without gaining weight. Conversely, if you inherited genes that slow the metabolic rate, it means that food is not processed faster, and eating even small amounts will result in weight gain.
A perfect analogy would be to compare your body to that of a car`s engine. When sleeping or sitting still, your engine is idling like a car at a stop light. A certain amount of calories is burned to keep the engine running. For humans, of course, this energy is in the form of calories in the food and beverages we take.
How fast your body’s` engine runs on average, and over time will determine how many calories you burn. If your metabolism is high (fast) the more calories you burn at rest and when active. A high metabolic rate means you have to take in more calories to maintain your body weight.
On the other hand, individuals with low (slow) metabolism burn fewer calories at rest and during activity and have to eat less to avoid becoming overweight.
How to Fire Up Your Metabolism
All is not lost. Though metabolism is partly influenced by genes, there are various methods that you can employ to nurture the other part that is not under the realm of nature.
It`s not simple though, and you`ll need a strong will to rev your metabolic rate.
In this section, we shall highlight the absolute and surefire ways of firing your metabolism. Our tips will help you develop and maintain better body composition.
Strength Training
Strength training is one of the effective ways of boosting your metabolism rate.
What happens when you pump iron is that it tears down your muscle tissues. In effect, the tearing of muscles “costs” calories, as your body recovers and rebuilds after the training.
Beyond costing you calories, strength training increases the number of anabolic hormones in the body, which stimulate recovery and fat burning.
Ultimately, fat burning and expending of calories for rebuilding muscles is a sure-fire way of cutting your weight down.
Move Around More
It doesn`t make sense when you hit the gym for an hour or take a morning jog, then come and sit down for the rest of the day.
Sitting and idling around negates all the hard work that you had put in burning of calories.
Instead, it`s recommended that beyond your daily exercising regimen, you should always move around more and keep yourself physically busy to boot your metabolic rate.
If for instance you have a desk job, make a point of using stairs rather than an elevator, or moving around after every 15 minutes. Also, if your working office is close by, you can walk, or cycle rather than using a bus.
Remember that even the modest physical movements such as fidgeting or even stretching can have a significant effect in burning calories and coaxing your metabolism along.
Eat a Variety of Wholesome Foods
The theory behind most of the wholesome foods is that they contain a variety of mineral, vitamins, and nutrients, all who act as metabolic spark plugs, providing you with the energy to move around.
It`s not a surprise that many dieters who are looking to lose weight are increasingly moving towards diets such as Paleo, and shunning the processed meals.
What we like about the wholesome foods is that they`re devoid of preservatives, and other unnecessary crap, meaning your body burns clean, and translates to a faster-moving metabolic process.
Avoid Low Carbs
When it comes to losing weight, most weight-loss enthusiasts advocate for low carbs, or diets low on calories.
And this is for a good reason because they help your body to lose fat.
However, when viewed from a metabolic angle, the low carbs come at a cost.
Here is why;
Over time, consumption of low carbs sends a message to the body that you`re restricting energy and limits the production of certain hormones, subsequently resulting in the burning of fewer calories.
This is perfectly understandable since it`s part of your body`s survival instincts as it does not want you wasting away.
The issue is when you eventually return to your normal eating schedule, your body`s metabolism will still be suppressed, making rebound weight gain more problematic.
Therefore, if you`re to lower your carbs, do it gradually over time, and make time for cheat meals.
Don`t Starve yourself
Like the low-carb scenario, depriving yourself to lose weight naturally results to your body slowing the metabolism rate to conserve energy. In effect, when your return to your normal weight schedule, the body may still “refuse” to adjust accordingly, resulting in weight gain.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, metabolism is influenced by genetics, and whether you can change your metabolism is a great debate with mixed reactions. However, you boosting your metabolism for weight loss is possible.
Follow our above tips on boosting metabolism and see your weight reduction in no time.
