Part 3: Understanding Your Metabolism Better

This is the third in a series of three articles designed to give you the basic information you need to understand and ultimately master your body's metabolic function. In Part 1: Understanding Your Metabolism Better the body's digestive tract function was discussed. In Part 2: Understanding Your Metabolism Better the issues of what you eat (diet) and how specific choices affect the body's function were the focus. This article is the final component of gaining a very basic understanding of how we gain/lose weight. These three articles combined are designed to give you a starting point.

A calorie is a measure of energy expenditure. 1 pound of fat yields 3,500 calories. So you must burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of body fat. If you take in 350 more calories a day then you burn in that same 24 hour period you will gain 1 pound of fat in 10 days (350 excess calories X 10 days = 1 pound of body fat gain). Conversely, if you took in fewer calories than you burned you would lose body fat. By this estimation an extremely low calorie diet would facilitate weight loss and by all accounts, in the short run it most certainly does. The body is designed to function optimally though, regardless of our caloric intake. Eventually the body goes into starvation mode and begins hoarding fat (as opposed to burning it) because our bodies are very efficient machines.

Our bodies burn carbohydrates, sugars and adipose fat stores first , subcutaneous fat stores second, and muscle tissue last. But the body will not burn all of its fat stores without burning a significant amount of lean mass in the process.

Eating smaller meals constantly and/or evenly spaced throughout the day tricks the body into releasing stores of fat. If the hypothalamus does not signal the stomach to churn (hunger pangs) due to constant ingestion of healthy well balanced food portions. It is then that the body will constantly release stores of fat. Stress and hunger trigger cortisol which latches onto fat in the blood stream, redirecting it into stores throughout your body.

If we aren't eating enough to keep our metabolism revved where does the body take energy from? It will break down precious muscle, thereby causing our metabolism to slow down even further. The less fat burning muscle we have, the slower our metabolism is. When we stop depriving ourselves of the calories that our bodies need and crave we end up regaining all of the weight we lost and more. And so, the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting has begun, each time robbing us of fat burning muscle which will be inevitably replaced with fat. Have you ever heard the old wives' tale, "Your body can turn muscle into fat?" What actually happens is that as your body loses muscle, your metabolism slows and you simply gain more fat. There is no magic or mystery. It is basic human physiology which applies to everyone.

What can you do to avoid this process or reverse the cycle once you've already gotten trapped? The answers are less complicated then you think.

The trick is to eat a well-balanced, nutritionally sound diet that has enough calories to sustain your metabolic function both working out and at rest. There are various online tools to help you ascertain this information. This number is different for everyone and is dependent on such factors as age, height, weight, and level of activity. The number of calories that you, specifically burn in a day varies from one person to the next. Find a rough estimation of how many calories you burn in a day and don't go over that number but for every 7 to 10 days so as to jump start your metabolism. As stated previously the human body is a very efficient machine and adjusts rapidly. So you have to constantly change your activity intensity and duration as you progress, intermingled with days of rest. There are also numerous online tools that will help you devise a sound meal plan taking into consideration specific nutritional requirements and activity levels.

A simple rule is to remember "calories in vs calories out." In other words you must take in enough calories to sustain your body without taking in more than you need.

Then all you have to do is start moving in order to further raise your metabolic rate so that you can start burning calories more efficiently. Get up off the couch, get started and stick with it. It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. You could begin by walking or taking the stairs. Once you've gotten comfortable with those simple activities progress to checking out and joining a gym. If you need more in-depth help hire a personal certified trainer and/or fitness consultant to show you the ropes safely. There are also any number of online discussion forums and meet-up groups that are a wealth of information. You just have to do a simple Google search, choose one that suits your needs and take an active role.

Don't just settle for trying to lose a few pounds. Make the commitment to a lifestyle change so that you could make your new focus finding your path to proper exercise & diet, better health & wellness.

Resources:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/calorie

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/obesity/a/06_calpound_fat.htm

http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm

http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/calories-required/

http://www.fitday.com/