Fit For Wellness » Metabolism http://fitforwellness.com A dietitian's health and wellness blog. Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:12:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Maximizing Metabolism http://fitforwellness.com/2009/09/29/maximizing-metabolism/ http://fitforwellness.com/2009/09/29/maximizing-metabolism/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:44:14 +0000 Kasey http://fitforwellness.com/?p=26 Continue reading →]]> 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…

Biking in Park

      -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?

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