Balance Your Health

How to lose weight without increasing your metabolism

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. 

Water - A Remarkable Option

There are certain times of the year when discussing weight loss and dieting are very popular.  Spring is one of those times.  Maybe it’s because summer means less clothes and more body exposure. Or maybe it’s the transition season for buying new summer clothes and we’d all like to look svelte. Whatever the reason dieting discussion is all over the printed and virtual world.

For instance, I just completed writing an article for a weekly tabloid describing how 5 people lost a substantial amount of weight and kept it off.  Interestingly 2 lost weight with bariatric surgery and hospital support, 2 were in group support programs and only one lost the weight on his own. 

I used to be very smug about weight loss because I could lose 2 or 3 or 4 pounds whenever I wanted to lose the weight. I was sure I knew everything there was to know.  Not any more!

A month ago, for instance, I learned about the importance of water and losing weight.  I knew about the importance of drinking water, but I never related it to weight loss.  Now I know and I’m drinking plenty.  It worked for a while.  I lost 3 pounds within a week – but I’ve since gained back two pounds.  Back to the drawing boards or more water. For sure more water because I’m less tired during the afternoons. Maybe that’s something that can help you?

I used to go for Starbucks coffee every afternoon.  Now I may buy a coffee every so often but seldom drink in the afternoon.  I drink water.