9 Facts About Metabolism and Weight Loss You Didn’t Know

Thinking about losing weight? Then you might be happy to know that there is an easy way to lose weight without too many hurdles. All it involves is understanding your metabolism on a detailed note. Let’s look closely at how metabolism and weight loss are connected and how metabolism can contribute to effective weight loss.

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is the term used to describe different processes that take place in the body collectively. An active metabolism automatically contributes toward a more active body and lifestyle. 

Losing weight & regulating metabolism go hand in hand.  To lose weight, you must maintain an active lifestyle to keep one’s metabolism active and ticking to lose weight. In addition to exercising, dieting, taking the best herbal medicine for weight loss, and understanding these basic facts about your metabolism can contribute to a more holistic approach towards weight loss.

Fact 1: Understand the Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR

To lose weight effectively, you must understand the body’s basal metabolic rate. The basal metabolic rate is when your body burns calories for 24 hours without dieting or exercising. 

Once you understand how many calories your body burns daily, you can easily limit the number of calories your body needs every day. But how to know the calories your body does burn daily? Knowing this is an essential part of your weight loss program. Keep reading the subsequent paragraphs to understand this, especially point 9. Wait! Do not jump to point 9. There are other simple but essential facts you need to know to achieve your weight loss goal. Based on them, you can set up a diet and exercise chart to reduce your calorie intake to the required daily dose to lose weight effectively.

Note: Keep in mind that eating less to consume fewer calories than the required daily dose can backfire. So make sure to take adequate calories your body requires daily.

Fact 2: Stable Blood Sugar Levels Help Body Metabolism Work Better

High blood sugar levels can slow down the body’s metabolic rate, slowing down weight loss in the process. Maintaining a stable blood sugar level can allow your body metabolism to function properly, thereby allowing you to chart your way to weight loss effectively.

A good way to keep your blood sugar levels stable is to opt for complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest, thereby preventing blood sugar spikes. Another option would be to take sugary treats with fat, proteins, and other macronutrients that can slow down the digestion process, giving your body time to adjust the sugar levels accordingly. A better option is to have mini-meals five to six times a day rather than three big meals. This ensures that your body metabolism remains active for a longer period while keeping your weight in check.

Fact 3: A Gain in Muscle Mass can Rev Up the Body’s Metabolism

Compared to bones and fat, muscles tend to activate the body’s metabolism more effectively. This means that muscles in the body tend to burn more calories as they perform their regular duties.

Adding some strength training to your regular exercise chart can help build more muscle to rev up your metabolism. This way, you can be sure of losing weight faster while also gaining some muscles in the process.

Note: Do not worry about building too much muscle mass or bulking up too much as a way to reduce weight. An additional 10 minutes of strength training exercises combined with your regular workout schedule can provide the body with enough muscle mass to burn more calories and keep your metabolism levels high.

Fact 4: Sound Sleep is Essential for Proper Metabolism

Improper sleep can lead to a sluggish metabolism, hindering weight loss plans. Lack of proper sleep can trigger the production of a stress hormone called cortisol, which leads to unstable blood sugar levels. Improper sleep can also interfere with other hormones called ghrelin and leptin, which promote and reduce hunger, respectively. 

The boost in body metabolism can ensure effective weight loss. Proper, uninterrupted sleep of 7-8 hours is important to promote body metabolism. Check out ways to get proper sleep without being interrupted to meet your weight loss goals via an active body metabolism.

Fact 5: Age has a Direct Influence on Metabolism

Some of us tend to put on weight even after following a strict diet, exercising, and taking the ??? . If you are healthy but still gain weight after following a healthy lifestyle, your metabolism may have slowed down owing to growing age.

A great way to effectively regulate your metabolism as you age is to adjust your health and lifestyle choices on the go. The older you get, the more you need to change your existing lifestyle or habits. So keep a regular check of your metabolism levels and make adjustments as you age to keep your body revved up and your weight in check.

Fact 6: Body Metabolism Increases with Water Intake

Dehydration slows down the body’s metabolism. Insufficient water in the system can inhibit the body’s ability to complete all metabolic activities properly and in time. Make sure to drink at least 7-8 glasses of water every day to ensure your body’s metabolism goes as planned. You can regulate the amount of water you drink daily by drinking a glass of water every 2 hours to keep the body hydrated. This, in turn, will provide your body with enough water at regular intervals to keep your metabolism revved up.

Fact 7: Existing Health Conditions can Influence Body Metabolism

Body metabolism is directly linked to existing health conditions. The body’s metabolic processes slow down due to certain illnesses or the medications taken to treat them. Illnesses like thyroid deficiencies, insulin resistance, etc., can slow down the body’s metabolism. Similarly, medication for blood pressure, sugar, epilepsy, depression, etc., can reduce metabolic rates and increase weight.

Fact 8: Metabolic Rates are not Controlled by Certain Foods or Drinks

There is the notion that certain so-called “superfoods” or “super drinks” can help rev the body’s metabolism and contribute to weight gain. Studies have revealed that certain foods like dark chocolate, chilli peppers, green tea, etc., can boost body metabolism. However, the direct effect of the increased metabolism on weight loss is found to be minimal or negligible. Combining these foods and drinks with other options mentioned above will positively impact weight loss triggered by body metabolism.

Fact 9: You can Measure the Body’s Metabolism Rate 

Let’s have one more fact to completely understand how the body’s metabolism can be used to reduce weight. 

The basal metabolic rate often reduces linearly as you age. Basal metabolic rate often depends on body size as it’s indicated by age, weight, and gender. During the onset of adolescence, males and females have varying basal heat production. Girls show the increase in pre-puberty two years earlier compared to boys. But when boys reach their puberty, the basal energy expenditure they have is higher compared to girls. This difference is due to the fact that men have more lean body mass and than women.

The general formula for calculating BMR in female and male is: 

Female: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)

Male: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years) 

Also, have a look at the DuBois normal standards for BMR

Age (y)	Males	Females
14-15	46	43
16-17	43	40
18-19	41	38
20-29	39.5	37
30-39	39.5	36.5
40-49	38.5	36
50-59	37.5	35
60-69	36.5	34
70-79	35.5	33

The secret to success in weight loss program lies in the way you balance the consumption and expenditure of calories depending on the BMR. The above-calculation may help you optimize your calorie intake and expenditure. However, you need to set a medium to long-term goal. Plus, you require persistence until you attain your goal. If you follow this, we are sure that you will succeed in weight management in a sustained way. 

The calorie intake must also be managed to maintain weight equal to the given BMR value, multiplied by activity factor. For losing 0.5 kg per week, you have to cut 500 calorie from the daily diet menu. 

Here are some food items and the calories they contain to keep your BMR in check. 

Food Item	Quantity	Calories
Vegetable Rice	1 plate	200
Boiled Rice	1 cup	120
Fried Rice	1 cup	150
Cereal or oats with milk	1 cup	150

 

Still, you may be putting on weight even after following a regular diet, exercising regularly, and following a healthy lifestyle. You may be putting on weight even after keeping a check on your basal metabolic rate. 

If this is the case, your best bet to lose weight using your body’s metabolism would be to consult a doctor and get your body’s metabolism rates checked thoroughly. A doctor would be able to observe and test how your body’s metabolism responds to different foods, drinks, and health choices. Thus, a doctor would be the right person to prescribe a proper health plan to keep your body’s metabolic rates active and high.

Conclusion

Active body metabolism can directly contribute to active weight loss. Ensure to keep these facts in mind when deciding to use your body’s metabolism as a tool to aid your weight loss goals.