Metabolism is the rate that your body utilizes calories. Gender, age, genetics, and thyroid disorders can all influence metabolism. Ladies- I’m sure you have noticed how much easier it is for men to lose weight than you… that is because men generally have much more muscle mass than us. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat mass. Each decade, our metabolism slows down by ~5%. After the age of 45, we lose ~10% of muscle mass each decade… Depressed yet?
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to counteract a slow or declining metabolism…
-Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Long gaps between meals can actually kick your body into “starvation mode” which decreases your metabolism in efforts to save energy and prevent starvation. Some people may think skipping meals cuts down on caloric intake; however, skipping can backfire by decreasing your overall metabolism which results in a lower calorie level to maintain your weight.
-Drink enough water. Your body is dependent on water to carry out its daily functions efficiently.
-Exercise. Raising your heart rate with aerobic exercise and building muscle with weight training both increase metabolism.
-Avoid smoking. Although nicotine actually increases metabolism and reduces appetite, the health dangers offset any benefits… Trust me; I see the results of life-long smoking everyday at the hospital.
How are you doing to maximize your metabolism?
I know it may not be the same for all, but I was in the BEST shape of my life when I was able to eat 6 small meals a day…i was never starving and never too full, and I had more energy to work out…I also found that I burned more belly fat during that time…