If there is one word that is associated with any and all diet and weight loss programs, metabolism is it. But why is so much emphasis placed on one word? What is it about metabolism that makes it the holy grail of all weight loss programs? It’s everywhere, from boosting metabolism super diet pills being advertised on our TVs to the latest diet, exercise program or workout machine that is guaranteed to increase, boost, raise and put our metabolism through the roof. All the infomercial “Guru’s” talk about it while buff looking guys and firm hard-bodied women workout in the background.
The reason that metabolism is the end-all and be-all of the exercise and diet industry is that it is the reason we either gain weight or lose weight. It’s that simple really. By decreasing or increasing our metabolism we can control the amount of stored body fat we carry around.
Which brings us back to what is metabolism? The simple definition is the body’s use of caloric energy to maintain life functions. From a biological or medical standpoint metabolism is the biochemical reactions of nutrients from food once inside the cells of the body. During the metabolic process, the cells of the body use caloric energy to extract more energy from the food we eat and then use some of this extracted energy to power their processes. The beauty of metabolism is that it is always in action, burning calories even when the body is resting.
In the diet and weight loss world, metabolism is looked at more simplistically. For someone losing weight it comes down to burning more calories then they take in. This leads many people to believe that they need to eat less, but this is not necessarily true. Remember, metabolism is the process by which the body uses energy to create energy. If we cut too many calories our metabolism slows because the body is not getting the energy it needs to function. This can severely affect our ability to lose the weight we want and can actually have the opposite effect of the desired results.
Table of Contents
The key to losing weight is an increase in metabolism.
There are several ways to accomplish this without starving. Exercise and a healthy diet are the first steps to actively increasing our metabolism. The idea is to not starve the body of the nutrients it needs but rather increase the efficiency with which it burns calories both during physical activity and at rest.
And this is the purpose of this website, to help make sense of the enormous amount of research available to help us understand how our metabolism works. Information is easier than ever to find. The latest studies are published so much faster and the knowledge about how to increase our metabolism is at our fingertips. These are the benefits of having the internet.
This metabolism web site has been set up as a portal for you to help find the information and resources you need to understand how your metabolism works and how you can control it. There are many sources for the knowledge you seek. The internet allows you to quickly and easily find and access as much information as you need.
Explore all the information in the articles here. They give you the benefit of the expertise and research of the author, laid out for your review. You will find excellent metabolism info pulled together here.
Of course, resources and studies change and are updated frequently. Check and research the many resources and ideas on every page. Take the time to investigate everything you find here. Check back often as information is added all the time.
How to Boost Your metabolism?
When it comes to finding a way to speed up metabolism most people think that doing cardio or high to mid-level aerobic exercise is the way to go. While these are indeed great ways to speed up metabolism there is another way that most people in the mainstream of exercise and fitness seem to miss; strength training. Yep, that’s right, good old fashioned weight lifting is a great way to boost metabolism.
Why does resistance or weight training helps speed up metabolism?
The reason is simple. The more lean muscle mass one has the more calories are needed to maintain that muscle mass. If one adds five pounds of lean muscle mass to their body the body will require additional calories to maintain that additional muscle mass at its new size and weight increasing the basal metabolism rate. These excess calories required to maintain new lean muscle mass come in two forms. The first is the food we eat and the second when the body metabolizes stored fat. This simply means the more lean muscle one’s body possesses the more calories they burn while at rest. This helps explain why fitness models look the way they do. Their bodies are optimum calorie-burning machines because of the amount of lean muscle they possess.
The process of lifting weights causes the muscles to actually break down. What happens next is the reason for a speedup in metabolism. After the muscle is broken down the body compensates by building more muscle to try and keep the muscle from breaking down again. The body needs extra energy from burning excess calories to build new and bigger muscles. So lifting weights burns calories and speeds up metabolism not only during the weight lifting workout but also after while the body builds bigger and stronger muscles.
If one is to get the maximum effect from lifting weights it must be done correctly and at regular intervals. Going to the gym once a week will not bring the kind of results talked about. Building muscle takes time and dedication but the end result will be a better body image and a natural increase in metabolism.