Vice President,
HealthMarket
Elisa Sloss, RD, LD
You’ve probably heard people blame their weight on a slow metabolism, but is there any truth in it? Find out how this bodily function works and its real effect on weight.
UNDERSTANDINg
dietitian
METABOLISM
A:
Metabolism is the process by which organs such as the liver and thyroid convert what you eat and drink into energy. Even when inactive, your body needs energy for breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels and growing and repairing cells. The amount of calories used to carry out these functions is known as basal metabolic rate, or metabolism.
What is metabolism?
A:
Only in rare cases do people gain an excessive amount of weight from a medical issue that slows the metabolism, such as Cushing’s syndrome or having an underactive thyroid gland. Weight gain is a complicated process; it’s likely a combination of genetic makeup, hormonal controls, diet composition and other lifestyle factors such as sleep, physical activity and stress.
Q:
Is a slow metabolism to blame for my weight?
A:
Several factors determine your individual metabolism. The first is your body size and composition; people who are larger or have more muscle burn more calories, even at rest. The next is your sex; men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women, so they burn more calories. Finally, age is a big factor; as you get older, the amount of muscle you have tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight, slowing down calorie burning.
Q:
What factors influence metabolism?
A:
The metabolic reset diet focuses on altering the metabolism through a personalized meal plan and workout routine to speed it up and burn more calories. People may lose weight while on the diet, but since it’s only meant to last a month or two, the results won’t be long-lasting or sustainable. Plus, there’s little research to show that our metabolisms can—or need to—be reset.
Q:
Does the metabolic reset diet work?
A:
We don’t have much control over the speed of our metabolism, but we can control how many calories we burn through physical activity. The more active someone is, the more calories they burn. Those you think have a faster metabolism than you may actually be burning more calories due to their higher activity level throughout the day. Aerobic exercise is an effective way to burn calories. Experts also recommend strength training exercises at least twice a week to help build muscle because muscle burns calories.
Q:
Can I speed up my metabolism naturally?
Q:
It may be tempting to blame metabolism for weight gain, but the reality is that
it actually plays a very minor role.
The greatest factors of weight gain as you age are poor diet and lack of exercise.
A
&
Q
wheels
turning,
calories
burning
Cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, aerobics, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and walking burn calories. After the exercise, calories continue to be burned.
cardio/aerobic
Workouts with weights tone muscles and boost lean tissue mass, which burns more calories per pound than fat. The more lean muscle tissue someone has, the more calories are burned daily.
strength training
REV UP YOUR ENGINE
Metabolic rate can be improved with quality sleep, a diet containing fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean protein and other lifestyle changes.
Metabolism
is a natural process
regulated by the body
to meet individual needs.
Weight loss can be improved
through lifestyle changes.
wheels
turning,
calories
burning
wheels
turning,
calories
burning
Learn a little more about
the two main types of
energy and metabolism
workouts that boost
Getting enough sleep
may prevent decreases
in metabolism. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can alter the glucose metabolism and hormones involved in regulating metabolism.
Metabolism increases when you eat, digest and store food—a process called thermic effect of food. Eating protein has a higher thermic effect because it takes longer for your body to burn and absorb it.
Research suggests that those who eat breakfast may have a healthier weight. Eating breakfast fuels the body and kickstarts metabolism, both of which can help with weight loss and management.
Drinking water instead of sugary beverages reduces calorie intake and may encourage weight loss over time. Water takes up space in the stomach, which can lead to feelings of fullness between meals.
Studies have found green tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin gallate that may increase calories and fat burned, giving metabolism a boost. Green tea is also a low-calorie drink option.
health.clevelandclinic.org
health.harvard.edu
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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A:
Metabolism is the process by which organs such as the liver and thyroid convert what you eat and drink into energy. Even when inactive, your body needs energy for breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels and growing and repairing cells. The amount of calories used to carry out these functions is known as basal metabolic rate, or metabolism.
A:
Metabolism is the process by which organs such as the liver and thyroid convert what you eat and drink into energy. Even when inactive, your body needs energy for breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels and growing and repairing cells. The amount of calories used to carry out these functions is known as basal metabolic rate, or metabolism.
A:
Only in rare cases do people gain an excessive amount of weight from a medical issue that slows the metabolism, such as Cushing’s syndrome or having an underactive thyroid gland. Weight gain is a complicated process; it’s likely a combination of genetic makeup, hormonal controls, diet composition and other lifestyle factors such as sleep, physical activity and stress.
A:
Only in rare cases do people gain an excessive amount of weight from a medical issue that slows the metabolism, such as Cushing’s syndrome or having an underactive thyroid gland. Weight gain is a complicated process; it’s likely a combination of genetic makeup, hormonal controls, diet composition and other lifestyle factors such as sleep, physical activity and stress.
A:
The metabolic reset diet focuses on altering the metabolism through a personalized meal plan and workout routine to speed it up and burn more calories. People may lose weight while on the diet, but since it’s only meant to last a month or two, the results won’t be long-lasting or sustainable. Plus, there’s little research to show that our metabolisms can—or need to—be reset.
Getting enough sleep
may prevent decreases
in metabolism. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can alter the glucose metabolism and hormones involved in regulating metabolism.
Metabolism increases when you eat, digest and store food—a process called thermic effect of food. Eating protein has a higher thermic effect because it takes longer for your body to burn and absorb it.
Research suggests that those who eat breakfast may have a healthier weight. Eating breakfast fuels the body and kickstarts metabolism, both of which can help with weight loss and management.
Drinking water instead of sugary beverages reduces calorie intake and may encourage weight loss over time. Water takes up space in the stomach, which can lead to feelings of fullness between meals.
Learn a little more about
the two main types of
energy and metabolism
workouts that boost