In order to lose weight, it is important to understand how human mechanics work. Weight loss is influenced by numerous factors that may or may not be alterable. Metabolism is one of the most commonly used terms when discussing metabolism.
How does metabolism influence our weight loss? Metabolism is a set of processes our bodies perform in order to produce energy. We often hear that a fast metabolism helps lose weight. However, it can be confusing to understand the link. In this article, we discuss various facts related to metabolism that can help you better understand how it influences our weight loss.
10 facts about metabolism that will help you better understand how it influences weight loss:
1. There are 3 kinds of metabolic processes
This may be a surprise to most people but metabolism is not one simple process. It is divided into 3 processes. These three types of metabolic processes take place for different functions. Here are the 3 processes:
- Energy spent on basic body functions is the most amount of energy spent also known as basal metabolic rate.
- Energy is spent to break down food. this requires the least amount of energy of the three.
- Energy spent when partaking in physical activities.
2. You need to focus on basal metabolic rate (BMR)
As discussed above, the basal metabolic process burns most of our energy through basic body functions. This means your BMR is the energy used to stay alive. Improving your BMR influences the majority of your metabolism. Better BMR will help you lose weight even if at times you are not working out.
3. Protein boosts metabolism
Eating a high-protein diet is encouraged when trying to lose weight or trying gain muscle. Digesting food helps burn calories as we mentioned above. Protein helps increase calorie burn and also increases metabolic rate. However, you need to consume protein regularly as the body can't store it for later.
4. Vitamin D fastens metabolism
Similar to protein, eating vitamin D-rich foods help improve your BMR. Many studies have shown that people with vitamin D deficiency had a slower metabolism.
5. More muscles means higher metabolism
We understand that the most amount of energy burned is in the basal state. This means we burn most calories just to maintain our bodies. About a kg of muscle in our bodies requires about 12 calories a day to just survive. So, high muscle mass means higher BMR.
6. Your health conditions affect your metabolism
Various mental and physical health conditions influence your metabolism. For example, thyroid disorders, insulin resistance, antidepressants, etc. slow down your metabolism.
7. Exercising boosts metabolism
As mentioned in the beginning, increasing your physical activities can help you burn more calories. However, exercising also helps improve your BMR. BMR has a bigger influence on your metabolism. Exercising also helps increase muscle mass which improves BMR.
8. Your sleep cycle influences your metabolism
Metabolism is a process that is happening at all times, even when we are sleeping. Our metabolism is managed by the endocrine system. Lack of sleep can have a huge and negative impact on our endocrine system.
9. Certain foods boost metabolism
As you may already know, there are various metabolism-boosting foods that help improve and increase our metabolism. Foods and drinks such as coffee, green, poultry, eggs, etc. help manage our metabolism.
10. Water can fasten metabolism
Drinking ample water is another piece of advice given to people trying to lose weight. Water not only helps surpasses the need to eat unhealthy snacks but it also helps improve our metabolism. Studies show, that drinking cold water helps improve metabolism as our body burns more energy to process cold water.
In conclusion, there are various factors that can help you improve your metabolism. As discussed above, a good diet and healthy lifestyle can help improve your metabolic rate and also boost weight loss.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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