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How Does Metabolism Affect
Weight Management
Have you been trying to
lose weight but have had no major success? Are you feeling tired very often
even if you have no other health issues? While, eating the right food is
vital to either gain weight or in your battle against the bulge, you must
also take into account how metabolism could affect the equation. A key
factor in weight management is thus knowing and understanding ways to
enhance the metabolic rate. It’s important that you burn off a significant
amount of calories that’s consumed. It may seem like some people are eating
more and yet are relatively lean, compared to others who consume less but
are on the heavier side of the scale; exactly how much energy is utilized by
an individual is determined by the body’s metabolic rate. What really
matters is how much calories that was consumed was actually burnt off.
If you’re overweight it could be due to low metabolism or hypothyroidism
i.e. the thyroid gland being underactive. You must speak with a qualified
physician to get the problem diagnosed correctly and then start on your
weight loss program. You must burn off the fat and ensure that you aren’t
losing water instead. Your age also determines how many calories you require
and how much fat gets converted into muscles. Generally, men tend to burn
off their calories faster than women. Another factor that determines the
metabolic rate is your body composition. To a certain extent, genetics also
plays a role in deciding how much calories you must consume. It is therefore
necessary that you seek expert guidance on how best to manage your weight.
Ways to enhance metabolism
There are several ways to enhance metabolism. You must exercise to build
muscles as this uses up the calories faster. Even seemingly less strenuous
activities such as breathing, maintaining the body temperature, and pumping
blood to the various organs burn several calories. Gradual reductions in fat
and replacement of
muscle growth only makes the body more active. It’s imperative that some time is
set aside for physical exercises as part of your daily routine. The
advantages of making small changes in one’s lifestyle such as taking the
stairs instead of the elevator or preferring to walk short distances and not
driving down are widely advertised.
Exercising right is important—you could pause for a short duration
after about 10 minutes of exercise to reap more benefits. This improves your
stamina and helps build your energy levels. You could hire a personal
trainer if you would like to learn more about how to exercise effectively.
In your eagerness to improve your metabolic rate don’t overexert yourself.
With the right regimen, you can avoid stress injuries. You could alternate
between different types of exercises to get the maximum benefits. Walking
and other aerobic exercises are considered to be a safe bet for most people.
You could try cardiovascular exercises and weight training.
Inculcating healthy eating habits is as important as consuming the right
kind of food. Consuming specific types of food helps increase the metabolic
rate. While the ill-effects of binge eating are well-known, skipping food is
also detrimental if you’re trying to lose weight. Eat small meals at regular
intervals. Metabolism and hence weight gain is affected by the number of
times an individual eats as calories are used up to even digest the food.
Fluid intake especially that of water should be adequate to ensure that fat
isn’t stored to make up for the lack of water in the body; water helps in
maintaining the body temperature at an optimal level and hence the metabolic
rate is also affected.
A feeling of lethargy sets in when you gain excess weight. This is because
the metabolic rate slows down. Foods that are rich in saturated fats and
sugar makes you feel sluggish. Protein intake must be high as this helps in
building muscle; more muscle means better metabolism. Ideally, a person
should not lose more than two pounds a week. Again, the exact number of
pounds that you could shed over a given period of time is arrived at by a
dietician only after accounting other factors. Don’t assume that healthy
food is bland or low on taste. There are online forums where you could find
recipes that help in enhancing your metabolism. With the right kind of
cooking, you can easily up the taste quotient. Ensure that you aren’t
allergic to any of the ingredients.
While there are some aspects of metabolism and weight gain that are fairly
the same for most of us, it’s important that you consult a qualified
dietician or a nutritionist before you start on your weight management
program. A method that works for one could prove to be insufficient for
another individual. For me, a combination of diet and exercising was just
right to increase my metabolism and hence control my weight gain. But only
this wasn’t enough for my friend who had an iodine deficiency. The mineral
intake had to be maintained at an optimum level as her metabolism was slow
and hence she was gaining weight rapidly. This required constant medical
supervision as only the required amount had to be given regularly; excess
Iodine can cause goiter. The metabolic rate influences every individual’s
weight differently.
A carefully monitored diet plan that considers factors such as your
lifestyle and metabolism is bound to yield greater effective results. With
people becoming more aware about how best to manage their weight,
pharmaceutical companies are going all out to in their efforts to make magic
pills and drugs that claim to enhance one’s metabolism. Again, you must
speak with your physician and only then start on the medication, if needed.
Very often, these dietary supplements could produce harmful effects. Since
it isn’t mandatory for these products to prove their efficacy, you must
tread with caution if you’re using them.
Thus, the most effective way to manage your weight is to know and understand
how metabolic your body is and devise means to burn off the calories you
consume. Your energy needs are determined by your metabolism. There are no
shortcuts and a wholesome diet with adequate physical activities could be
just what you need to manage your weight.
The Media Influences on our body shapes
and size
References:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14802091/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/wt00006
http://www.metabolism.com/2008/08/23/metabolism-works/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8871.php
http://weightloss.about.com/od/weightloss101/a/101lesson5.htm
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=254384&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet
You must seek approval from your doctor
before starting any new diet.
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