What is this about "metabolism"? Why does it affect us so much physically?
Our body is a machine and, like all machines, it needs fuel to run. In our case our fuel is glucose and thanks to it we get into operation.
Our glucose dispensers are the foods we take. These contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats that our body transforms to obtain energy in the form of glucose. Metabolism is the chemical reactions that transform food into glucose.
However, almost whenever we mention metabolism, we actually refer to the metabolic rate, which is the rate at which we convert food into energy. This concept is the one that arouses the interest of all.
Once clarified these two terms ...
What is the metabolic rate?
Actually, the metabolic rate is the sum of three types of energy expenditure that our body performs:
1. The basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the caloric expenditure necessary to maintain the basic functions of the body: heartbeat, breathing, muscle tone, etc. It represents between 60% and 70% of total expenditure and varies throughout life:
Childhood and adolescence: it is higher because it is a stage of growth and development.
Gestation and lactation: increase the expense to be able to carry out the formation of the fetus and its feeding.
Diseases: There are diseases that produce metabolic stress thus triggering the expenditure.
Menopause: The expenditure decreases conditioned by the hormonal variations characteristic of this stage.
Advanced age: the energy requirements are lower and therefore the expense is reduced. Muscle tone decreases and is replaced by fat.
2. Thermogenesis of food, which is the expense necessary for food to be converted to glucose. It represents around 10% of the energy expenditure of our body (metabolic rate).
3. The additional energy expenditure, which consumes the remaining 20-25%, is the energy that is spent according to the physical or labor activity that is performed, depending on our level of activity.
Take advantage of the metabolism to lose weight
It is important to know that if we undergo a diet that is very low in calories or a prolonged fast, the body greatly reduces the energy consumed at rest to last longer available energy reserves.
For this reason, there is the rebound effect with miracle diets: In the face of a significant reduction in calories, the body begins to spend less (as if it were hibernating ...), and when normal diet is restored, the difference between intake and energy expenditure is greater than Before, recovering more weight even than it has been lost.
We already know that increasing our metabolism will help us to lose weight. So, if your body resists you ... put the batteries!
1. Move! You'll make the expense bigger and help you maintain your weight.
2. Do not do crazy things. Follow a healthy diet. If you do overly low calorie diets your metabolic rate will become smaller and you will gain weight, besides affecting your health due to lack of basic nutrients.
3. Attention to the changes in your body. The least change you experience, can be an alarm signal of changes in your metabolism. If, for example, eating as usual, fattening may be due to changes in your metabolic rate. We recommend that you do not let it pass before it is too late and you lose control.
4. Coordinate exercise and nutrition. Both are enhanced when well coordinated. That's why your Personal Nutritionist will help you get moving with a physical exercise plan designed by personal trainers and adapted to your particular situation, in a coordinated way with your nutritional plan.
