Metabolism, Schmabolism

     It may be true that a person can't lose weight because they have a slow metabolism. Many people misunderstand what metabolism really is, though, so it helps to examine it before identifying that as the reason.

"Metabolizing" is forming usable energy from stored energy. The speed at which this takes place is known as a person's metablism. It makes sense that some people would have a faster rate than others. It is also logical that people who don't burn calories quickly would more be likely than others to store this energy on their bodies. This is the "survival gene" that has allowed us to live off of stored energy.

It has become popular to say that we tend to gain weight as we age not because our metabolism slows down, but because we get less exercise and thus burn fewer calories. While it is true that most of us get less exercise as we get older, our metabolism does indeed slow. We lose muscle as we age. Since muscle burns more calories than fat does, fewer calories are burned at older ages, even with the same activity levels. This is the reason men tend to gain fat less easily than women; they have more muscle and less fat to begin with. There is also an age-related slowing of metabolism on the cellular level of as much as 2% per year. The effects of this slowing are often worsened by the less efficient calorie-burning of the overweight person.

It is also possible that a heavy person has an underactive thyroid that slows his metabolism. However, this is unlikely. This can be determined with routine tests, but this is unnecessary unless exercise have been examined first.

Here's how to improve your metabolism.

Aerobic Exercise. At least 30 minutes of some form of aerobic exercise at least three days per week burns sufficient calories to lose weight on a good diet. Just like with other activities, the more active you are the faster rate you'll expend calories and the greater the effect on your metabolic rate.

Weight Training. Unlike aerobic exercise, with weight training your metabolism stays elevated for many hours after you finish your workout. Moreover, bigger muscles burn more calories, even at rest. That is an actual speeding up of your metabolism.

The Right Food. Eating complex carbohydrates from whole grains and fresh vegetables and lean protein allows the body to burn calories more efficiently. Sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, and saturated and hydrogenated fats have the opposite effect. Sugar is far more likely to be stored as fat than complex carbohydrates. Spicy food appears to boost metabolism, as does caffeine.

Smaller, More Frequent Meals. That starts with breakfast. Studies show that eating smaller meals every three to four hours aids both metabolism and weight loss. More than 4 or 5 hours between meals can actually cause a significant slowdown in metabolism, as your body gets the message of scarcity and starts to conserve. It can also lead to overeating. Drink water Staying well hydrated is essential to flushing the body of the toxins that are released when fat is burned. Inadequate water consumption can also lead to additional stress on the body, which contributes to a slowing of metabolism.

Avoid stress . Stress can contribute to weight gain by stimulating the release of cortisol, a hormone that slows metabolism. Moreover, when we're under stress, we eat too much! And we eat the wrong foods! Sleep. Research shows that people who don't sleep for at least seven hours per night are more likely to gain weight than people who don't. Research also shows that muscle is regenerated in the final two hours of sleep each night. Waking up two hours early could prevent that, and related metabolic improvements, from occurring.

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