Nutrition and Metabolism Disorder

What is the relationship between intake of nutrition and metabolism disorder? Is slow metabolism the cause of my overweight? Are there any types of nutrition that can speed it up? Could a pill speed it up?

There are many myths and misconceptions about metabolism. The idea that a low metabolic rate is always responsible for excess weight is one of them. Another is that a slower-than-average metabolism, means you're destined to be obese.

What is metabolism?

Metabolism is the rate at which your body breaks down the nutrients in food to produce energy. A person with a "fast" metabolism, for example, utilizes calories more quickly, in some cases making it easier to stave off excess pounds.

Your metabolism is primary determined by your body composition: the more total fat-free mass you have the higher your resting metabolic rate will be.

Other factors that determine your metabolism is

  • heredity
  • hormones such as thyroid and insulin
  • stress
  • calorie intake
  • exercise
  • medications
  • Your baseline metabolism is determined at birth.
  • When you've passed the age of 30 and without exercising, the metabolism decreases with the age.
  • However, you can increase your metabolism to a certain extent by exercising and building lean muscle.
  • Each time you significantly reduce calories to lose weight you'll experience a temporary decrease of 5-10 percent in metabolism.

Workouts for increasing your metabolism

  • A high-intensity cardio workout that really increases your heart rate will make you lose the most calories and represent the most significant short-term metabolic booster; between 20 and 30 percent. However, it won't have a permanent effect on your metabolism. After your workout, your metabolism will return to its previous level over several hours--but you'll continue burning extra calories in the meantime.
  • Though weight training is the most effective way to build and preserve your lean muscles, the muscle influence on metabolism is pretty slight. Each pound of muscle gained, can raise your metabolism up to 15 calories per day.

Can certain foods affect your metabolism?

  • Most of the scientific research reports that the type of food you eat has no significant impact on your long term metabolism rate. So fats, proteins and carbs seem to affect metabolism similarly.
  • Scientific data also tells that protein can slightly increase metabolic rate, but only temporarly.
  • The more calories you cut, the lower your metabolism rate will drop. An extremely low-calorie diet with fewer than 800 calories a day could cause your metabolic rate to decrease by more than 10 percent.
  • It is not what you eat but how much you eat what really matters. For a safe,sustainable weight loss, the average person shouldn't eat less than 1,200 calories a day.
  • Spicy foods, such as chili peppers and curry can increase metabolism, but not enough to have a weight loss effect. It's too small and short-lived.

Pills and Supplements

  • No pills or supplements have proven to increase metabolism enough to help you lose weight.
  • Some pills, have been shown to lower metabolism, and thus cause a weight gain. Examples of such pills are those used to treat depression and bipolar disorder.

Find out your daily calorie need

For losing one pound of body fat a week, you must create a deficit of 500 calories a day. The most reasonable way to do that, and thus avoid a big metabolic decrease, is through a combination of exercise and diet. You could for example eliminate 2.50 calories from your diet, and add enough activity to burn an extra 250.

Here is how you do it:

Determine your basic metabolism rate or RMR

1 RMR = 655 + (9.6 X your weight in kilograms*) + (1.8 X your height in centimetres**) - (4.7 X your age in years)

2 Factor in your daily activity: Multiply your RMR by the appropriate activity factor:

  • If you have little or no activity: RMR X 1.2
  • If you are performing light exercise 1-3 days a week: RMR X 1.375
  • If you are performing moderate exercise 3-5 days a week: RMR X 1.55
  • If you are performing strenuous exercise 6-7 days a week: RMR X 1.725
  • If you perform very strenuous daily exercise, sports or physical job or training twice a day: RMR X 1.9

3 Your final figure represents the minimum number of daily calories that you need to maintain your current weight.

Notes:
(*) Your weight in kilograms = your weight in pounds divided by 2.2.
(**) Your height in centimeters = your height in inches multiplied by 2.54.

About the Author

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet marketer. He runs the website 11-Weight-Loss.net. Terje enjoys to give advice and help people to burn fat with weight loss products and workout.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Healthy and Fast Weight Loss: Ephedra - Why the FDA Couldnt Keep Their Ban On It?

Why was the FDA trying to hide the facts about... Read More

High Protein Diets Can Have a ?Bad? Impact on Your Career

With all the excitement regarding high protein diets, one area... Read More

Are Fiber Supplements Fat Burning Food?

If you're taking a fiber supplement or eating a high... Read More

After WLS: How Much Weight Have You Lost?

I had lost nearly fifty pounds before anyone mentioned my... Read More

Fit or Fat?!

"Hey, you have reduced now, compared to the last time... Read More

Trans Fat: Whats That!?

Learning the jargon is part of the weight loss journey.... Read More

Motivation the Key or the Curse?

"Life would be perfect if only I was thin." That... Read More

The Mind Body-Fat Connection

Negative thoughts, symbolic protection, being who we really are ........ Read More

Weight-loss Tip: Add Extra Calcium to a Low-Fat Diet

Got milk? New research suggests you should if you want... Read More

Wellness Coach Reveals Celebrity Diet

We think we know everything there is to know about... Read More

A Better Body - 5 Easy Steps That Anyone Can Take

If only there were a 'better body boot camp', we'd... Read More

Exercise: Essential

The only absolute truth in the area of exercise and... Read More

Bodybuilding Weightloss Trouble-Shooter

"Help, none of this mainstream stuff works!"There is a specific... Read More

Overweight? - 5 Tips to Enhance Your Sex Drive

You could try one of the many sexual enhancement drugs... Read More

Dieting Will Never Be the Same! A Review of How to Make Your Diet Work

According to the American Obesity Association, an astounding 64.5 percent... Read More

First Component of Weight Loss

Any true body transformation starts with self?discovery. It is an... Read More

Eat Fat to Burn Fat

For about 50 years now, Americans have been eating low... Read More

Today?s Diets ? What?s Hot!

For the person who wants to shed a few pounds... Read More

Are You Losing Body Fat or Water?

"I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the... Read More

Doc, I Know My Arthritis Will Get Better If I Lose The Weight?. But How Do I Do It?

First? establish realistic goals. Start with a target you can... Read More

How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau

Healthy eating has become part of your life, but you're... Read More

Dealing with Childhood Obesity

Experts tell us that overweight or obese children have reached... Read More

The Dangers of Liposuction

One Reality TV show, The Swan, thrives on makeovers. Often... Read More

Weight Loss and Water: The Unknown Secret

Weight Loss and Water: A Way to Make Your Body... Read More

Free Weight Loss Tips - Help For Beginning a New Diet

If you are about to begin a diet, the number... Read More

Diet Preparaton -- The Impact of Sleep and Stress

When you have started a diet in the past, how... Read More

A Revolutionary Product Called Hoodia Part 2

The rediscovery of the wealth of the wonder drug Hoodia... Read More

What the Diet Industry Wont Tell You--6 Secrets Revealed

I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More

High Carbs/Low Fat Diets and Cardio Vascular Disease

For the past 20 years, the American public has been... Read More

Help for Sugar Cravings

Many people have asked me what foods they should eat... Read More

Take Control of Your Metabolism:Quick Tips for Increased Muscle Tone, Faster Fat Burning, and Energy

So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism... Read More

Childhood Obesity Is Everyones Problem

Reducing childhood obesity in the U.S. needs to be a... Read More

Technology & Weight Loss: Putting An Online Tool to Use

Because the Internet allows so many millions of people to... Read More