No More Diets: Metabolic Rate and Its Effects on Weight
You and your husband have both given up sodas and "white" foods, but your husband is losing weight and you're not. Your friend is losing weight, too, but when you did what she did, you didn't get half the same results. So what is going on? Why can't you seem to shed the pounds as easily as others? It is most likely your metabolic rate. The metabolic rate varies for each person and that means that we each need to find a way of losing weight that works for us.
Metabolism is defined as the various chemical and physical reactions taking place in our bodies, in every cell and at all times, which are responsible for keeping us alive. Simply put, our metabolic rate is the rate at which our body burns calories to sustain life. Our body is endlessly burning calories, even when we are sleeping. It is our muscles that are responsible for burning calories even when we are not performing any physical activity.
Various factors affect our metabolic rates and therefore the rate at which we lose weight. Age(the older you get, the slower it gets), gender(males tend to have a faster metabolism), and heredity are factors which affect metabolic rate. These are factors, however, that you can't do anything to change.
Stress is also known to disrupt some normal processes of the body. This causes some individuals to gain weight more easily than those who experience lesser levels of stress. It is also true that people eat more when they are stressed or depressed. Eating serves as a catharsis for them. Finding other ways to destress is not only beneficial to your physical health, but it is also more emotionally healthful.
Another factor affecting our weight pattern is our thyroid gland. It is also responsible for many other processes in our bodies. The thyroid gland, which produces several hormones, is part of our endocrine system. Higher amounts of the thyroid hormone tends to increase our metabolism, while the opposite is true if our thyroid produces too little. If you believe you have thyroid problems, you should seek guidance from a trusted health care provider.
Of course, the food we eat is one of the biggest factors. Our choices for nutrition affect all aspects of our lives. One example is fast food. Much of our fast food choices are high calorie and low nutrition. More calories leads to a more sluggish metabolic rate causing weight gain. There are, however, more and more healthy choices being offered at fast food restaurants these days. It would be wise to start picking from this area of the menu when you find it absolutely necessary to grab food on the go.
Exercise affects our metabolism tremendously. Not only must there be a balance between your food intake and your work output, but lean muscle contributes to our metabolic rate in a big way. The leaner your muscles, the more work they do, even when at rest. This tranlates to bigger calorie burns.
There are other factors, such as illness and pregnancy, which affect our metabolism, but those mentioned above are some of the most important factors in how we gain or lose weight. While we have no control over some of these factors, we can effect great changes in other ares. Take a look at your nutritional and exercise habits. Make small changes and little by little you will begin to feel and look better.
Metabolism is defined as the various chemical and physical reactions taking place in our bodies, in every cell and at all times, which are responsible for keeping us alive. Simply put, our metabolic rate is the rate at which our body burns calories to sustain life. Our body is endlessly burning calories, even when we are sleeping. It is our muscles that are responsible for burning calories even when we are not performing any physical activity.
Various factors affect our metabolic rates and therefore the rate at which we lose weight. Age(the older you get, the slower it gets), gender(males tend to have a faster metabolism), and heredity are factors which affect metabolic rate. These are factors, however, that you can't do anything to change.
Stress is also known to disrupt some normal processes of the body. This causes some individuals to gain weight more easily than those who experience lesser levels of stress. It is also true that people eat more when they are stressed or depressed. Eating serves as a catharsis for them. Finding other ways to destress is not only beneficial to your physical health, but it is also more emotionally healthful.
Another factor affecting our weight pattern is our thyroid gland. It is also responsible for many other processes in our bodies. The thyroid gland, which produces several hormones, is part of our endocrine system. Higher amounts of the thyroid hormone tends to increase our metabolism, while the opposite is true if our thyroid produces too little. If you believe you have thyroid problems, you should seek guidance from a trusted health care provider.
Of course, the food we eat is one of the biggest factors. Our choices for nutrition affect all aspects of our lives. One example is fast food. Much of our fast food choices are high calorie and low nutrition. More calories leads to a more sluggish metabolic rate causing weight gain. There are, however, more and more healthy choices being offered at fast food restaurants these days. It would be wise to start picking from this area of the menu when you find it absolutely necessary to grab food on the go.
Exercise affects our metabolism tremendously. Not only must there be a balance between your food intake and your work output, but lean muscle contributes to our metabolic rate in a big way. The leaner your muscles, the more work they do, even when at rest. This tranlates to bigger calorie burns.
There are other factors, such as illness and pregnancy, which affect our metabolism, but those mentioned above are some of the most important factors in how we gain or lose weight. While we have no control over some of these factors, we can effect great changes in other ares. Take a look at your nutritional and exercise habits. Make small changes and little by little you will begin to feel and look better.
posted by Pat Tomaskovic at 2:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home