What is Metabolism? How does it affect weight loss?
Your metabolic rate (basal metabolic rate) is the energy that your body expends while you are at rest. This metabolic rate seems to be determined primarily by genetics. There has been new research that shows that you can increase your metabolic rate in a number of different ways. Why would you want to increase your metabolic rate? Increasing your metabolic rate means that you will increase the amount of energy that your body expends while at rest. You will thus burn more calories, which can help you to lose weight.
Boosting your metabolism can help you to become leaner, stronger, and healthier.
An increase in B vitamins and Magnesium can improve your metabolic rate.
B vitamins, such as Folate, B6, Thiamine, B12, and Niacin, are essential in burning fats, carbs, proteins, and energy production. Lack of these B vitamins can make you feel tired and depressed as well as slow your metabolic rate and put you at risk for chronic diseases. Foods that are high in these B vitamins include: broccoli, fish, eggs, spinach, asparagus, beans (navy, soy, and black beans), poultry, and melons.
Magnesium is deficient in most adults (per the National Institute of Health). Magnesium is a mineral that is needed in every cell of your body. One of over 300 biochemical reactions that Magnesium performs in your body, is protein synthesis and energy metabolism. Boosting your intake of foods with Magnesium will boost your metabolism. Green vegetables such as spinach are high in Magnesium. Other good sources of this precious mineral are nuts, halibut, legumes (such as black-eyed peas and lentils), oatmeal, soybeans, and whole grain cereals.
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One of the easiest ways to increase your metabolism is breakfast!
Breakfast can increase your metabolic rate as much as 10% and lower your risk for diabetes and obesity. A healthy breakfast will also help you to feel better, think more clearly, and have more energy. What is considered to be a healthy breakfast? Fruit, fruit juice, whole grain cereal with fruit, whole wheat toast with peanut butter, granola, and yogurt (fat free) are some of your choices. Skipping breakfast can lead to diabetes, obesity, lack of energy, lack of focus, fatigue, and a shorter life span. Eat breakfast, it is a MUST!
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a gas pedal!
Think of your metabolism as being like a gas pedal. Some folks, seem to be able to eat whatever they want and as much as they want and yet, they never gain weight. They probably have a 'high metabolism'.
You can boost your metabolism through:
Exercise
What you eat
When you eat
How often you eat
A huge metabolism mistake is to skip a meal. Try to always eat breakfast, and never miss a meal.
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Snacking (eating smart snacks) keeps your metabolism fired up. Most experts seem to agree that we should eat five or six times daily to keep our metabolism rate higher.
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Another easy tip:
Smart snacking is easy and can do so much for you! |
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| Smart snacking is a simple and pleasant way to increase your metabolism as well as ward off being over hungry and thus help avoid over eating. Over eating can lead to obesity, snacking can help avoid over eating and to better control your appetite as well as boost your metabolic rate. What are some smart snacks? Snacks that include both carbs and protein. This carb/protein combination will help you with blood sugar levels, energy levels, and will help you to feel satisfied. Some examples are: apple and low fat cheddar cheese, |
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| banana and peanut butter, carrots and humus, and trail mix. Eating snacks means that you are eating more often, thus you also avoid sending any false signals to your brain that you are getting hungry and not eating. Your brain may think "starvation mode'" and automatically take measures to conserve energy, calories, carbs, fat, etc. Snacking will help you avoid this problem, which is the body's natural defense (thermogenesis), and unfortunately this natural defense is the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. |
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| If you are on a weight loss plan or begin a weight loss plan, you are likely to be depriving your body of calories, carbs, fats, etc. and your body will soon realize that it has a reduced intake and thus will automatically try to hold on to carbs and fat. One way that your body does this is to slow your metabolism. If you are on a diet or start a diet, then eating a smart breakfast, smart meals, and smart snacks is a must. You not only help to increase your metabolism, but also, to remove the problem of "dietary induced thermogenesis"! |
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Artificial Metabolic Stimulants can increase your metabolism!
The problem with this choice is that it is temporary, and that there can be side effects such as diarrhea, tremors, nervousness, and bulging eyes.
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Strength Training increases metabolism!
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| As you age, you can usually look forward to loss of muscle and increased fat, and a slower metabolism. One other way to boost your metabolism, regain muscle and lose fat is strength training or resistance training. People with more muscle have higher metabolisms. Muscles use more calories to maintain themselves than fat. Strength training allows you to build back muscle and strength as well as increase your metabolism and reduce fat mass. Other benefits are that you can likely expect a healthier life and a longer life! |
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If strength training seems too much or too difficult, consider other types of exercise such as walking, swimming, dancing, golfing, bowling, or Yoga.
Find an exercise that you are able to do and one that you like. If you are not able to exercise, then perhaps you can start out small and increase over time. I have a friend that walks and walks and walks...probably 2-3 hours per day, since he loves to walk. When he decided to start walking, he walked for about 5 minutes, had to rest, and then walked 5 more minutes to return. That was all he could do, but he built up a little at a time, and now he can walk for hours. |
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Metabolism is like 
