When you talk to people who are trying to lose weight they often refer to metabolism. Some people say they are trying to boost their metabolism so that they can burn the fat away. Others blame their inability to lose weight on a slow metabolism. However, when you actually ask these people what their metabolism is very few can give you an answer. This is because many people do not actually understand what metabolism means. That is why in this article I am going to be explaining your metabolism in greater detail.
In basic terms your metabolism refers to the set of chemical reactions that help keep you alive. Food acts as a source of fuel in these reactions. So when most people mention metabolism they actually mean the number of calories their body uses to perform its basic functions. If people say they have a slow metabolism they normally mean their body burns relatively few calories on a daily basis. If people claim to have a fast metabolism they generally mean that their body burns a higher than normal number of calories each day.
There are three main things that can influence your metabolism and I am going to be discussing each of these in greater detail below.
1) BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR):- Your BMR is the basic amount of calories your body needs to stay alive. Males can calculate their BMR by multiplying their weight in pounds by 14 whilst females can do the same by multiplying their weight in pounds by 12. BMR has the largest influence over your metabolism and accounts for approximately 60% of the calories you eat. You have very little control of your BMR and it is largely down to genetics.
2) PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:- Physical activity burns calories so the more active you are the more you energy will use. It does not have as much of an influence over your metabolism as BMR and accounts for approximately 30% of the calories you eat. However, unlike BMR you can directly control your level of physical activity. Therefore, one way to boost your metabolism is to do some exercise on a consistent basis.
3) THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD:- The process of digestion burns a small amount of calories and this is referred to as the thermic effect of food. It accounts for approximately 10% of the calories you eat. Whilst the effect on your metabolism is not huge certain foods (such as those that are high in protein and spicy foods) do have a greater thermic effect. Therefore, by adding more high protein foods to your diet and eating something spicy once in a while you can give your metabolism a small boost.
I hope this article has given you a greater understanding of your metabolism and the effect it has on your ability to lose weight. As you can see you do not have as much control over your metabolism as many people believe. The majority of the calories you burn are determined by your genetics whilst physical activity and the foods you eat burn less than half. Whilst it is still possible to boost your metabolism through regular exercise and eating the right foods, the number of calories you can burn through metabolism alone is limited.
Author Resource:-
Tom Parker owns and operates a number of useful fitness resources and websites. You can learn more about boosting metabolism and get a free fitness tip delivered to your email inbox every day for a full year by visiting his websites.
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