Have you ever wondered why there are just some people who can eat whatever they want whenever they want yet still remain very slim? The secret lies in their metabolism.
Our body derives energy from the food that we eat. Whenever we eat something, the body’s chemical reactions converts the food into energy that we can use. That reaction is something we call metabolism.
The metabolic rate refers to the speed in which metabolism occurs. People with higher metabolisms are able to burn fat faster. Which probably explains why some people can get away with eating heavily – they have a very fast metabolism.
Not everyone has the same kind of metabolism. The metabolic rate can be influenced by a variety of factors such as physical makeup and behavior. This rate also decreases with the passage of time – as we get older, our metabolism decreases.
Another factor is the amount of lean body mass. Metabolism decreases as you lose lean body mass. Conversely, increasing muscle mass will speed up the metabolic rate. You can increase muscle mass by doing anaerobic exercises. An example of anaerobic exercise, as opposed to aerobic exercise, is lifting weights. It will increase your muscle mass, and consequently, increase your metabolic rate.
A Scandinavian research team at Helsinki University Central Hospital experimented on a set of twins. One of the twins was thin, and the other one was fat. A study done at the cellular level reveals that the fat cells in the heavier twin caused a change in his metabolic rate – it made it more difficult for his body to burn fat!
What this research shows is that gaining weight can lead to a downward spiral, wherein additional weight gained influences your body to make it likelier that you will gain weight. This means that it is imperative to stay on top of things by doing a lot of physical activites in order to avoid this pitfall.
The important thing to remember is that you can change our metabolism. It will take constant exercise, but the results in the form of improved weight management are very rewarding.
