How does metabolism help you lose weight?

One of the important steps to lose weight is to understand the relationship between metabolism and weight loss. With good application of this knowledge to your weight loss diet food, you may not need to make a drastic change to our lifestyle in order to lose weight.

So what is metabolism?

 Our body requires energy to stay alive and we need energy to carry on the basic activities of life. Metabolism makes this energy available by converting the calories we have eaten into energy. Metabolism is therefore, the process of chemical reaction in our body by which the food we eat is converted into the energy we need.

How does Metabolism Affect Weight Loss?

To understand metabolism and weight loss, we need to understand our metabolic rate- the rate at which our body uses energy. The metabolic rate is different for different individuals and is mostly dependent on the individual’s activity level.

 The measurement of the rate at which our body burns calories is known as “Resting Metabolic Rate” (RMR) or “Basal Metabolic Rate” (BMR). This measurement refers to body metabolism when the body is at a totally resting state.

 There are three main ways our body uses calories:

75% of the calories we consume are used during blood circulation, cell growth and repairs; and breathing during the process of resting metabolic rate (RMR) or basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Energy used in the process of digestion accounts for about 10% of our daily energy expenditure. This is known thermogenesis.

The energy needed to perform our daily activities accounts for 15-30% of our total daily expended energy.

In the simplest term the relationship between metabolism and weight loss boils down to whether you have a surplus balance or deficit balance of calories. Surplus balance you gain weight because excess energy is stored as fat, and deficit balance you lose weight.

 The choice of our weight loss diet food could also be factor in metabolism and weight loss.

 Before we continue in our discussion, it is important to note a few important points.

 Starvation as a means to lose weight actually slows down your metabolism.

Men have a higher RMR than women.

The older you get the slower RMR

How Can You Increase Your Rate of Metabolism?

Build up some lean muscles. Lean muscles increase the rate of body metabolism and therefore burn more calories. This is so because at resting state, lean muscles uses three times more energy for maintenance and rebuilding of body tissues than fat. Lean muscles are built through weight lifting and strength training.

You have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you want to increase your metabolism, don’t skip breakfast. If you do, your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. High carbohydrate and high protein breakfast helps to keep you full longer and therefore helps you to lose weight.

There is no over emphasizing the fact that regular exercises helps to burn calories as well as increase body metabolic rate.

The choice of your weight loss diet food can help your metabolic rate. It has been proven that having protein as a third of you daily calories will help increase your rate of metabolism tremendously. Protein keeps you fuller longer and more calories are used up to digest it. It takes more calories to burn protein than to burn carbohydrate or fat. Fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines contains omega -3 fatty acids also keeps you full longer.

Studies have confirmed that caffeinated coffee increases you metabolic rate.

Drink some green tea. Green tea contains ECGC plant which helps increase metabolism.

Get at least 8 hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation increases you body mass index.

Calcium increases rate of metabolism. So take your milk and low fat yogurt

Take about eight to 12 glasses of water a day.

In conclusion, it is safe to say that understanding the relationship between metabolism and weight loss is a revelation to an effective weight loss process. Remember also to choose your weight loss diet food bearing in mind that it always helps your weight loss endeavour if you fire up your metabolism.

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