What is metabolism? It’s the body’s ability to take nutrients from food and convert them into energy. Our Basal Metabolic Rate also plays a huge role in Metabolism. BMR is the number of calories burned to perform basic life sustaining functions such as breathing and digesting.
What we have found talking to thousands of people over the last 20 years, most people that struggle with weight, do NOT eat enough. How in the hell can we continue to put weight on , yet not eat enough?
Well the human body is freaking amazing. If we are only taking in 1000 calories but the body needs 2000 calories to run efficiently, it will actually slow metabolism to conserve energy. This creates a lot of issues when it comes to energy levels and the body’s ability to burn fat.
Another reason for slow metabolism is loss of muscle mass. Humans are more sedentary than ever. The amount of sitting, commuting, watching tv, and just not moving enough is drastically affecting muscle mass. The less muscle we have, again the amount of energy needed to move us around continues to decrease.
What Can We Do?
Eat more (quality foods of course) and build muscle…..
- Just by eating enough nutrient dense foods to provide us with sustainable energy throughout the day can trigger an increase in metabolism. The knows it will be supplied with the appropriate amount of nutrients therefore it starts running much more efficiently. This means more calories burned which equals to more energy throughout the day.
- By increasing our lean muscle mass we not only feel better and stronger, but our metabolism must increase to provide the extra muscle with enough fuel. Fat doesn’t require nearly as much fuel as muscle mass. We can start to increase muscle mass through a variety of different options. A lot of this depends where one is health and fitness wise.
Someone that hasn’t done any type of fitness in a very long time can actually increase muscle mass just by walking. Whereas someone that has been fairly active might need a bit more intensity to create this adaptation such as weight lifting and/or gymnastics.
GIve those two tips a go. If you are sure where to start, talk to a professional. We can help.
Best,
Coach Marcel
