Your metabolic rate is the number of calories you burn when you are at rest and everybody is different. This explains why some people are seemingly naturally slim while others seem to put on weight just by reading a cookbook!
The main factor affecting metabolic rate is the amount of lean muscle mass in the body – muscle is busy stuff requiring oxygen and nutrients, this means the body needs to expend energy to maintain it. The amount of lean muscle mass you naturally carry depends on uncontrollable factors such as genetics and age. As you age, lean muscle mass reduces, metabolic rate slows and weight begins to creep on. This can occur as early as late 20s and it's never a welcome development! You're moving and eating similarly, but your physique just isn't the same. Once this transition starts it is suggested that weight begins to increase at approximately 1kg per year - so in a decade you can find yourself 10kgs heavier.
When lean muscle mass starts to decrease, the methods of weight management people have traditionally relied on (a low calorie diet with cardiovascular activity) just no longer does the job. Also, it can be a punishing regime difficult to sustain and may even decrease metabolic rate further.
The best way to regain lean muscle mass is resistance training. There are other ways to keep metabolic rate high. Be a grazer - never skip breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day. You don't need to eat more food, just eat more frequently. Then your body knows that its energy source is steady and will burn more calories instead of storing it as fat for later use. Protein is a great booster for metabolism. It preserves lean muscle mass and your metabolic rate increases when your body processes it. Protein also makes you feel fuller for longer, curbing the temptation to over-eat.
Omega3 fatty acids found in fish are another great booster. Fresh foods increase metabolic rate, processed foods slow it. Green tea is a well known booster and increasing your water intake is another quick easy way of speeding up metabolic rate. Reducing stress and increasing sleep also support your metabolism.
Taking the right steps to speed up your metabolic rate can turn your body into a calorie-burning machine! You can manage your weight with less effort and improve your health at the same time.
The main factor affecting metabolic rate is the amount of lean muscle mass in the body – muscle is busy stuff requiring oxygen and nutrients, this means the body needs to expend energy to maintain it. The amount of lean muscle mass you naturally carry depends on uncontrollable factors such as genetics and age. As you age, lean muscle mass reduces, metabolic rate slows and weight begins to creep on. This can occur as early as late 20s and it's never a welcome development! You're moving and eating similarly, but your physique just isn't the same. Once this transition starts it is suggested that weight begins to increase at approximately 1kg per year - so in a decade you can find yourself 10kgs heavier.
When lean muscle mass starts to decrease, the methods of weight management people have traditionally relied on (a low calorie diet with cardiovascular activity) just no longer does the job. Also, it can be a punishing regime difficult to sustain and may even decrease metabolic rate further.
The best way to regain lean muscle mass is resistance training. There are other ways to keep metabolic rate high. Be a grazer - never skip breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day. You don't need to eat more food, just eat more frequently. Then your body knows that its energy source is steady and will burn more calories instead of storing it as fat for later use. Protein is a great booster for metabolism. It preserves lean muscle mass and your metabolic rate increases when your body processes it. Protein also makes you feel fuller for longer, curbing the temptation to over-eat.
Omega3 fatty acids found in fish are another great booster. Fresh foods increase metabolic rate, processed foods slow it. Green tea is a well known booster and increasing your water intake is another quick easy way of speeding up metabolic rate. Reducing stress and increasing sleep also support your metabolism.
Taking the right steps to speed up your metabolic rate can turn your body into a calorie-burning machine! You can manage your weight with less effort and improve your health at the same time.
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