Your metabolism influences your energy needs but what's important is how much food you eat and how active you are physically that ultimately determine whether you’ll be gaining or losing weight.
Most of us think that skinny people have a high metabolism and heavy people have a low metabolism. The fact is metabolism isn’t the only thing that determines your weight.
I’ve said it before but it’s worth saying again, gaining or losing weight depends upon the balance of calories consumed versus the number of calories burned.
Take in more calories than you need and you’ll gain weight. It’s that simple. Take in less calories than you need and you’ll lose weight.
Metabolism is the mechanism that burns the calories and regulates your energy needs. Another way to say it is metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy.
It’s a biochemical process: calories from carbs, fats and proteins combine with oxygen and release energy.
The number of calories you burn each day is called ‘your total energy expenditure.’ You need energy for:
- Basic needs. Even when while sleeping, your body requires energy to keep your heart beating, blood circulating, plus energy for repairing and growing cells.
- Food processing. Digesting and absorbing your food also burns calories accounting for about 10% used daily.
- Physical activity. Playing tennis, working out, working in the garden, and other activities also burn calories depending how often you exercise, or run up the stairs, or sit and watch TV.
Weight gain isn’t likely to be due to a low metabolism or under active thyroid.
Weight gain is more likely due to consuming more calories than your body burns.
Therefore, if you want to lose weight you need to pay attention to some of the factors that may be influencing your weight loss.
For instance, if you’re not a large person, you’re going to burn less calories than someone bigger than you. If you’re an older senior, your muscle tissue has decreased over the years and you’re likely to gain weight if you don’t monitor your caloric intake.
Your sex is also a determining factor. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women so they’re more likely to have a higher basal metabolism rate and burn more calories.
Exercising on a regular basis, 5 days a week, will level the playing field and help burn additional calories.
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