Metabolic Rate
Weight Loss And Metabolism - Burning Off Excess Calories While Staying Healthy
There are some people out there, I'm sure you know the type, those friends, relatives and co-workers you can't stand because they eat everything in sight and never gain a pound. I've asked them how they do it and they tell me it's because they have a high metabolism. I always wondered what losing weight and metabolism had to do with each other.
Doing some research, I learned about the metabolic rate. It is the rate, in calories, that your body burns energy. If I have a high metabolic rate, I burn more calories. If I have a low metabolic rate, I burn fewer calories. A person's metabolic rate depends on many factors.
I always thought that when I ate less, I would lose more weight. This isn't always true. By eating less, I can slow down my metabolic rate and accordingly slow down the rate at which I lose weight. I have read reports of nutritionists who say that the less food you consume, the more your body believes that it is not being fed enough. Your body will then conserve energy and calories and store them for later use. This slows down your metabolism.
If I eat less, I may put my energy in reserve and slow down my rate of weight loss. My body will then do whatever is necessary to keep energy stored. This can be dangerous. My body will refuse to use the reserve for energy, and might start burning muscle tissue instead, doing whatever is necessary to maintain the stored reserve. This will stop me from losing fat and becoming thinner.
To keep my body running smoothly and burning the energy it should, I make sure to eat an adequate amount of food every day. Controlling my calories is the key to weight loss and a healthy metabolism. Since everyone's balance is a little different, consult a nutritionist or physician to determine just how many calories you should consume each day.
I have learned that weight loss and metabolic rate are linked. Sometimes my metabolism can slow down when dieting. Exercise can help speed it up. By exercising, I increase the metabolic rate and burn off more calories. Exercise also builds up my muscle mass. Muscle has been found to burn more calories at a quicker rate than fat. Exercise is a great way to kick start my metabolism and lose weight.