The Weight Loss Corner

Most of us have heard that metabolism is linked to weight loss. However, many of us do not really understand fully what metabolism is and how it actually affects our weight loss. Here is the scoop…

What is metabolism?
Put simply, metabolism is the process the body uses to convert food to energy. In other words, it is the rate at which your body burns calories or uses energy.

The body’s process of breaking down nutrients and converting them to energy is known as “energy metabolism”

Metabolic rate varies from person to person.

More about the metabolic rate
A term often mentioned when referring to the rate of metabolism is BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate. The BMR is the rate at which the body burns up calories while at rest.

Despite the common belief that a person who is slim has a higher metabolic rate than an overweight person, this is not necessarily true.

What does influence the basal metabolic rate is the actual composition of the body. Fat requires less energy to function than muscle tissue. This also gives us a clue as to why the BMR slows down as we get older!

In order to get a very general idea of your BMR, multiply your weight in pounds by 10. For example, if you weigh 160 lbs, your BMR would be 1600.

The formula would look something like this:
BMR = your weight x 10 kcal/lb = kcals (160lbs x 10kca/lb = 1600 kcals)

So what does this calculation tell us? Your body is able to use about 1600 calories per day. If you take in more calories than your body can use, you will gain weight.

Please remember that the above calculation is a very rough guide and other factors also need to be taken into account, for example, how physically active you are, general condition of your health, etc. It is always wise to seek professional advice to ensure your weight loss program is healthy and safe.

How does Metabolism affect your weight?
Now that metabolism and the metabolic rate have been explained, let us look in more detail regarding how metabolism actually affects weight.

There are many factors which affect the metabolism, eg health, age. Although someone with a high metabolic rate tends to burn up calories more efficiently than someone with a low metabolic rate, weight gain tends to occur due to an energy imbalance. In other words, taking in more calories than your body needs and is able to burn, will result in weight gain.

In order to lose weight, you will need to consume fewer calories or burn up more calories by increasing your physical activity levels – preferably both!

What can you do to increase your metabolic rate?

• Don’t skip meals – this causes the metabolic rate to drop
• Having smaller meals throughout the day (grazing!) – 4-6 small meals 2-3 hours apart
• Avoid long gaps between meals as this can slow the metabolism down
• Don’t skip breakfast – think of it as “breaking the fast”
• Increase your physical activity levels
• Try strength training exercise (using weights and resistance) – the combination of general exercise and strength training is to increase muscle tissue. Muscle tissue burns calories more effectively than fatty tissue. So, if you have more muscle than fatty tissue, your metabolism will be higher and you will burn up more calories. The result? More effective weight loss!

Is it possible to eat too little?
Indeed it is! But this seldom happens. There is a tendency to think you are consuming less than you actually are. But if you are genuinely cutting out too much, consuming too few calories, you will not lose weight as this will slow your metabolism down and your body will store energy. So, eat a balanced healthy diet and work on increasing your physical activity levels.

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