WHAT IS METABOLISM
We often blame’ slow metabolism’ for our inability to keep your weight under control
TRUTHS AND MYTHS ABOUT METABOLISM
MYTH: Ageing slows your metabolism
TRUTH: People do tend to put on weight as they get older, but it isn’t inevitable. People have a tendency to exercise less, or less vigorously, as they age and that means fewer calories burned per day, also a loss of muscle mass can occur. This then shrinks the body’s fat free compartment and leads to a lower metabolic rate.
Cardio exercise will burn calories, and resistance training to preserve or build up muscle are great defenses against age-related weight gain.
MYTH: Eating a grapefruit with my meal will speed up my metabolism
TRUTH: There’s nothing special about grapefruit that will speed up your metabolism. Sometimes it’s recommended that you should eat half a grapefruit with each meal for this purpose. But the reason this may work is not because of anything magical about grapefruit. It’s simply a watery, low-calorie food that takes up space in the stomach that might normally be taken up by higher-calorie foods. It may help weight loss, but it doesn’t have any effect on your metabolism.
MYTH: If I cut calories, my metabolic rate will slow down, so what’s the point of exercising?
TRUTH: It is true that your metabolic rate can show a bit when you cut calories. But these decreases are relatively small, and if people becomes more active as they lose weight, this can offset these small changes. By dieting and exercising, you can help to preserve the rate at which your body burns caloires.
MYTH: You’re stuck with the metabolism you have, you can’t change it.
TRUTH: We all know people who can “eat whatever they want and never gain weight” or those who “just look at food and put on 10kg.” But lifestyle plays a big part in determining the calories you burn per day. While it may appear that there are people who eat all the time and never seem to gain, chances are they make healthy, relatively low-calorie selections naturally. And many of these people burn more calories through what is called ‘Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)- basically, they move around a lot during the day (ex. fidget more, get up from their desks to stretch, or walk down the hall. You may notice that heavier people sit very still and hardly move. Leaner people may use more hand gestures, or wiggle a foot or crossed leg.
The point is, build more muscle and then use it by moving around more throughout the day.
TIPS TO INCREASE METABOLISM
