So, exactly what is this Metabolism stuff all about anyway? Everyday there is a new program or a new supplement hitting the market all promising to speed up your metabolism. But, exactly what is your metabolism and why do you want to speed it up?
Metabolism relates to various processes within the body that convert food and other substances into energy, or fuel. The faster your metabolism runs the greater your body’s ability to burn calories. When you are seeking to lose weight having a fast metabolism can be quite a gift! While this topic is quite involved here are a few basic principles to understand:
The more muscle you have in your body the faster your metabolism will run because muscle burns up to 90 percent more calories than fat. This means even at rest, your body will run faster and burn more calories. A good reason to pickup those dumbbells!
If you eat a very low-calorie diet, your body thinks it’s starving and slows down you also will lose muscle which will slow down your metabolism even more. Your diet should consist of 5 or 6 meals a day. Aim for a 3-2-1 breakdown; 3 parts Carbs with a heavy focus on veggies and fruits rather than grains, 2-parts protein and 1-part fat at each meal. To understand how this translates to your total calorie breakdown, there are 9 calories in 1 gram of fat, 4 calories in 1 gram of protein, and 4 calories in 1 gram of carbohydrates.
After the age of thirty, our bodies gradually begins to lose muscle. If your activity level does not include extra strength training to build that muscle back up and your diet does not include good quality protein to support muscle growth, you’ll gain weight because your metabolism will slow down.
In seeking to maintain a certain base rate of metabolism your body creates what has come to be called your metabolic set point, the average rate at which your metabolism runs. To truly raise your set point you need to engage in a healthy program of nutrition and yes, exercise.
