BODY HEALTH
3 Ways to Boost Your
Metabolism + Lose Weight
By Melissa Hendricks, M.ED, ACSM-HFI, ACE
You’ve probably all heard it (or said it) before: “I have a slow
metabolism, so I can’t lose weight.” But what does that really
mean? Let me explain: Metabolism is the burning of calories
necessary to supply the body with the energy it needs to
function on a daily basis. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is
composed of three components:
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), which is about 65 to 75 percent
of the total calories burned in a day, are the calories burned
during basic bodily functions such as breathing or sitting.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), which is about 5 to 10 percent
of total caloric burn, are the calories used to digest food.
Physical Activity Energy Expenditure (PAEE) burns the
reminder of calories. This includes any type of activity
where you are physically moving (walking, weight lifting,
playing sports, running, etc.).
There are many factors that affect your Basal Metabolic Rate:
age (metabolism slows 5 percent every decade after age 30),
gender, muscle mass, activity level, genetics and thyroid
function. The only two factors that you can control are
muscle mass and activity level.
By being physically active you can help to give our
metabolism a boost not only during your workout but after
too. Aerobic activity such as walking, jogging, or cycling will
burn a high number of calories during the actual workout,
increasing the percentage of calories burned by PAEE. A
30 minute, moderate-intensity cardio workout can burn
anywhere from 200 to 500 calories in one session.
Weight training, on the other hand, will typically burn fewer
calories during the actual exercise session, but has been
shown to keep your RMR at a higher level for a longer period
of time after the workout. Weight training also helps to
increase your overall muscle mass, which is another factor
in increasing RMR. That’s because muscle tissue burns 6 to
10 calories per pound per day, while fat only burns around
2 calories per pound. Any calories not burned throughout
the day will be stored in the body as fat. For weight loss to
occur, you need to burn more calories than you take in each
day. That way your body is using the fat stores it already has
instead of creating new ones.
So if you’re looking to boost your metabolism and lose a
few pounds, physical activity (including weight training)
and diet are key to your success. It’s important to remember
that weight training is essential, and often overlooked by
women, to weight loss and maintaining a healthy body. So
instead of another session on the elliptical, pick up some
dumbbells and give those muscles a workout!
fall issue 2014
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Living Well Naturally with Nature’s Emporium
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