Why understanding your Metabolism

Our metabolic rate determines the rate at which we ‘burn’ our food, and by increasing this level, we can lose weight quickly, easily, and safely. When we eat, by reducing our calorie intake significantly, we cause our body to slow down, making it more difficult for us to lose weight. Many diets fail, yet we continue to try one after another, always hoping that each new empire will provide a ‘magic’ solution. If this sounds like a problem for you, it might be a simple solution. Let's take a look at why so many foods fail, and how strength training, combined with healthy eating, can speed up your metabolism, making it easier for you to lose weight. By drastically reducing the amount of food we eat, our natural tendency is to switch to a ‘starvation response.’ The fewer calories we eat, the more energy our bodies have to consume these calories - which leads to a slight weight loss. This used to be a useful way for our ancestors when food was less predictable, but this ‘cruel cycle’ would make life almost impossible for a modern dieter. When the body is constantly being kept short of calories, it breaks down muscle tissue for use as fuel. Our body, using water from our tissue cells, quickly washes away this resulting in weight loss through dehydration. However, this weight loss will be short-lived, and will be reversed as soon as we absorb water and the lost muscle will slow down our metabolism in the long run. The reason for this is that each pound of muscle needs a certain number of calories each day just to be maintained. So, when you have extra muscle, you burn more calories even when you are not doing anything, not even sleeping! If you lose muscle, then your daily calorie requirement is minimal. For example, suppose a dieter loses 10 pounds of muscle (and perhaps 20 lbs. Of fat) from a solid diet. Now imagine that every pound of muscle burned at least 50 calories a day. Taken together, those 10 pounds of muscle burned 500 calories a day. With this muscle mass depleted, the dieter should now eat less than 500 calories a day to maintain that weight loss! However, people who stick to their diet forever and when they return to their old eating habits, the weight they lost, always comes back to accumulate. Unfortunately, while losing both muscle and fat during the meal, all of their weight gain was fat. Therefore, although they may have the same weight as they did when they first started, they now have more fat and less muscle than they had before eating. Therefore, their metabolism slows down and their calorie needs are low. Even if they return to their pre-meal eating habits, they still need fewer than 500 calories a day due to muscle loss. This is one reason why dieters tend to regain all the weight they lost, and sometimes even gain weight afterwards. A good solution is an active lifestyle that includes exercise, a good weight training program, and a healthy diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. It is a good idea to eat ‘slowly and often’ - to keep your body healthy by eating small meals 4 to 6 times a day, rather than one or two large meals. No food is forbidden, but sweets and high-fat foods are eaten sparingly, and in small amounts. Healthy eating is a real and lasting way of eating - not the food you suffer from for a week or two and then stop! The goal is to eat as many calories as possible, while losing body fat and storing or adding lean muscle mass at the same time. If your calories are already below normal, do not save them. Instead, maintain your current level and instead try to be stronger and more active, so that you can gradually increase your calories to a healthy normal level. If your calories are already in the healthy range, reduce them only slightly, if necessary. A small reduction of 250 calories a day, or less than 10-15 percent more than usual, will probably protect your smooth muscles, and is less likely to cause a slowdown in your metabolism. If you follow this kind of routine, you are likely to gain about a pound [1 kg] of muscle per week and lose about a pound [1 kg] of fat per week. The result is that the number on the scale may not move at all, it may increase. Your clothes will feel comfortable, and you will feel good about yourself. However the numbers on the scale will not move !! It is at this point that many people stop weight loss training because they do not understand what is happening. The fact is that when you exercise strength you are more likely to be thin and heavy at the same time, as muscles are more dense than fat. Fat takes up a lot of space in your body. At this point, it is best to ignore the bathroom scales and rely on the way you look and the way your clothes fit. A normal diet can lead to a weak, tired body, tired of a continuous cycle of hunger and weight gain, unable to enjoy food. However, by following these simple steps above, you can easily achieve your goal - a thin, strong, healthy body of a naturally hateful person who can enjoy his or her diet without guilt, for life!