Metabolism

Question: Metabolism? In simple terms what is it? And really.. how does it have anything to do with weight gain? If we're all meant to eat the same amount then why does metabolism get in the way? I look like I have an eating disorder and yeah, supposedly I have a fast metabolism.

Answer: Metabolism is simply the process of turning food into energy (although it's actually not a simple process.) Metabolic rate (the rate at which they convert food into energy) can very from person-to-person, or even on a daily basis. Your activity levels, height, weight, gender, age, amount of lean mass, diet and even sleep can influence the rate at which you convert food into energy. Hormones or medical conditions (for example, hyper- or hypo-thyroidism) can also increase or decrease a person's metabolic rate. When it comes to metabolism, you body is doing either one of two things: breaking down tissue (catabolism) or building tissue (anabolism.) Catabolism happens when you are not eating enough calories to support the basic energy needs of your body. In this scenario, you will lose weight because the body doesn't have enough energy from food, and needs to tap stored sources like body fat or protein (in the form of muscle.) When you consume more calories than you need, your body will use them to build (anabolism) additional muscle, provided you are training your muscles. Or it will store the excess energy as fat, so that you can use it in the future should your calories decrease. Your comment that "we're all meant to eat the same amount" is actually not really accurate. Each person's calorie requirements are unique. The 2000 a day calorie estimates on the nutritional labels of the food you eat are just estimates for an average person with an average activity level. Depending on your own individual body composition and activity level, they can be somewhat higher or lower. However, realize that at a certain point, there is a floor. Most people, regardless of their metabolism, need to consume at least 1200 calories a day just to keep their bodies running. Althetes or very active people may need to consume two to three times that just to maintain their current weight. I've seen people (especially very thin women) who claim they just have a "fast metabolism." However, I've also noticed that they rarely eat -- sometimes they only eat one meal a day. This isn't a "fast metabolism" that is causing them to continue to lose weight or not gain any: it's the fact that they are starving themselves. They probably aren't even meeting their minimum calorie requirements. Likewise, I've seen obese or overweight individuals claim they have "slow metabolism" and then eat twice the daily calories they need for their size and weight. While their activity and eating habits may have temporarily changed their metabolic rate, the reason they gain weight is because they are eating MORE calories than they need. All things equal, a human being's base, resting metabolic rate only varies slightly from person-to-person (less than a 100 calorie difference.) Any variations above this are a product of their activity levels or body composition. Great question. Best of luck!

Question: MeTaBoLiSm? If you were on a diet and ate alot more than your BMR, would that boost your metabolism? And for how long?

Answer: I can tell you this, if you eat small healthy meals 4-6 times a day it wil speed up your metabolism. See, there are two things homeostasis and metbolism. Your body wants to remain at a certain weight, what it is used to( homeostasis ). Thats why small people can eat and eat, and their body's metabolism doesnt give. In order to speed up metabolism, eat small portion, up to 4-6 times a day food. Also, you can do training, like circuit training. It focuses on higher reps with faster workouts, while bulking is lower reps( 6-10 ) and a slower time to rest. See circuit training trains to speed up your heart quicker, hence speeding up adrenaline, which makes for faster metabolism. You can also just train for higher reps. If you want to bulk, lower reps, and eat 3-4 times a day, good meals, still keeping it healthy. So really it all depends, there are different ways. Dont know If I answered your question per say. Also, yes, if you eat more than what you need you can gain weight, although depends on how active, and how you eat.

Question: How to increase metabolism after overcoming anorexia? I have overcome my eating disorder and have intentionally put on some weight, since I obviously needed to - but I have noticed that I haven't had to eat very much for this weight gain to take place. I think my metabolism must be very slow after starving myself - so how can I increase my metabolism so that I can eat more food without gaining any more weight?

Answer: I remember reading somewhere that bodybuilders eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones because it supposedly boosts your metabolism. Other than that I can only suggest being active and exercising.

Question: Why was a high metabolism better to survive extinctions? As opposed to slow metabolism? I would think that slow metabolism would actually be more helpful because you wouldn't have to eat for a long time...will someone please explain this? Thanks!

Answer: I think this is a trick question. Slow metabolism will allow you to convert energy slower meaning you will not need to continually eat to survive. Some animals that have very slow metabolisms include tortoises, which can live for over 100 years.

Question: How fast does your metabolism get when you exercise? I mean when you are exercising at that very moment and after. Does your metabolism really get fast? What if you dont exercise at all one or two days, will your metabolism still be fast?

Answer: The rate of your metabolism is dependent upon your age, sex, weight, body composition, etc. Your metabolism will increase while you are exercising to provide your body with the fuel it needs, but the number of calories burned or the rate at which it increases depends on the type of exercise you are doing. Studies have shown that if you do high intensity exercise, your metabolism will stay revved up for anywhere from 24-48 hours later. Doing resistance training (with some sort of weight) will increase your lean muscle tissue. This in itself increases your metabolism, even when you are not working out. The more lean muscle tissue you have, the faster your metabolism will be.

Question: How long will it take for my metabolism to adjust to a regular Diet and exercise program? I am 40 years old and diabetic and have decided to start a diet and exercise program in order to lose weight and get healthy. I was wondering how long it would take for my metabolism to adjust to the diet and exercise program? Since I am 40 and diabetic will my body automatically boost my metabolism because of the diet and exercise program or will I have to take drastic measures in order to boost my metabolism?

Answer: The best place to start would be light exercises until your ready to do more than say 10 minutes or so, second eating the right food like fruit and vegetables, and most of all don't give up hope, it will happening one day and unfortunate it can't happen overnight it takes time. I weigh 257.9lbs and am trying desperately to lose weight so I know were you come from. Try this website for low fat recipes.

Question: How do I increase my metabolism and eat more without gaining weight? Im 16 and i've been dieting for about 3 months now and i lost the weight that i wanted to. I've only been taking in about 1800 calories and ive been burning off about 900 through intense exercise each day. Im guessing that the dedicate in calories each day has slowed my metabolism and now I want to keep exercising the way i have been but start staying the same weight so how can I eat more and increase my metabolism without gaining weight.

Answer: If you're still exercising then hopefully you should be able to gradually increase your calories without starting to put on the weight, ie increase your metabolism. But make sure the calories come from protein and veggies/salads and not from carby foods like sugar, sugary drinks, cookies, potato snacks etc or the 'bad' fats such as transfats. For more detail on why it's crucial to eat enough protein, and not to drastically reduce your calories long term if you want to keep your metabolism up, see my article at http://www.lowcarbiseasy.com/lose_weight_fast_crash_diet.htm.

Question: How do you make your metabolism faster in order to lose weight? How do make your metabolism faster in order to lose weight? What slows it down? I have always had a good metabolism. Was able to eat what i wanted and didn't gain weight. I am 34.

Answer: Metabolism is essentially the speed at which our body's motor is running. The speed at which our body burns calories is called the metabolic rate. It's how fast your "motor" is running when you're still in a reclined position or sleeping. About 60-75% of energy is expended by the body at rest in such activities. The metabolism is based on the number of calories we burn throughout the day. Our body constantly burns calories to keep us going whether we are eating, sleeping, cleaning etc. People with a lower percentage of body fat (i.e. muscular) have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular because muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. Some people have a slower metabolic rate and have a harder time staying slim. Younger persons have higher (faster) metabolism because of the increased activity of cells. A slow metabolism actually causes to store fat. The slower the metabolic rate, the greater the weight gains. How to build muscles to improve metabolism? What type of exercise is ideal that speed up metabolism so that you burn calories even at rest or sleep? There are simple exercises that speed up the metabolism. Causes for Low Metabolism * Fasting * A low calorie diet * Snacking throughout the day on high sugared foods (candy, colas, cakes, gum). * Eating or drinking too much sugar containing foods. * Lack of physical activity. * Underactive thyroid. Metabolism Boosters There are some natural metabolism boosters (natural foods) that improves your metabolism. Do not take over the counter pills containing animal thyroid extract that claim to boost up metabolism. These products may have side effects as diarrhea, increased heart rate, excessive sweating, nervousness, tremors, bulging eyes, etc. How to Improve (Speed up) Metabolism * Do not skip any meals * Exercise daily * Build your muscles * Avoid alcohol, sugar, and fastings *Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. *Eat foods with high nutrition values

Question: How do I change my metabolism from low to high? I have a very low metabolism which means I will gain weight easily. I reaaaaaaaally want to gain a much higher metabolism, so how do I do that?

Answer: Start working out. Muscles will burn calories even if you're inactive. Also, change your eating habits. It'll help increase your metabolism, but not nearly as much as gaining muscle will.

Question: How will their metabolism change during the summer when the deep water becomes anoxic? Some species of bacteria that live at the surface of sediment on the bottom of lakes are facultative anaerobes; that is, they are capable of either aerobic or anaerobic respiration. How will their metabolism change during the summer when the deep water becomes anoxic? If the bacteria continue to grow at the same rate, will glycolysis increase, decrease, or remain the same after the lake becomes anoxic? Explain why.

Answer: (1) Who states that the deep water will necessarily go anoxic because of summer? Generally the top water is first to go anoxic during summer because it gets warmer and can therefore hold less dissolved oxygen. The warmer temperatures also encourage algal and bacterial growth, which further depletes oxygen levels. The colder deep water retains its oxygen longer. Under certain conditions, deep water has been found to be anoxic, but I don't think that summer has been established as the cause. One factor that has been identified as an underlying cause for deep water anoxia is overgrowth of the bacteria you mention, likely the result of eutrophication (too many nutrients from fertilizer runoff and sewage and such) of the water. Some deep waters have been found to be anoxic due to volcanic activity. Since the temperature of the deep water does not change all that much during summer vs. during winter, I doubt that season of the year has all that much to do with the process. (2) Just because a bacterium can go anaerobic when conditions require does not necessarily mean that the organism will thrive under such conditions. In fact, the opposite generally occurs. I do not expect that they would continue growing at the same rate. That being said, if we accept your basic premise assumptions then I would expect glycolysis to carry on at much the same rate because it is integral to both aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

Question: How is our metabolism messed up when we have been on and off dieting? I've been a cow since christmas and i've tried to go back to my good eating habits but one week i pig out and the next i try to be good. These past two weeks i've been eating what i've been wanting but i've gained 10lbs in this overall process (since christmas). So, am i damaging my metabolism to the point i wont be able to lose weight? How am i doing this?

Answer: You won't "damage" your metabolism to the point where you can't burn off fat and lose weight..... Trust me. Once you're back to eating a healthy, nutritious diet and doing exercise, it will be back to healthy condition. Healthy diet (meaning eating enough calories with nutritious food, not starving) and exercise are the 2 ingredients to boost up your metabolic rate. May be this article on metabolism could shed more light for you:http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/what-is-metabolism.html

Question: How does the metabolism of a distant runner work? Im in track and curious to know how your metabolism changes when you start running long distances every day. How can I improve it because I feel like Im burning out.

Answer: I don't think the metabolism is so much a factor as your training is. Typically, endurance, and ultra endurance athletes are able to burn fat as a fuel at a higher exertion level than non endurance athletes. This helps, as fat is a great energy source. Any training plan, for sprinters, marathoners, weight lifters, any athletes, will naturally increase the bodies metabolism. You are expending more energy, therefore you need to take in more food, and your body learns to process it more efficiently. If you are feeling burned out, try taking a break. Do you run every day? Do you vary your workouts to do speed work, weight training, along with the distance work? Are you recovering correctly? After any workout you need to eat and drink immediately after, or as close to it as possible. If you are just starting out doing long runs, you will be pretty tired, a lot of demands on your body that it hasn't had to cope with before. As long as you ramp up, get good recovery, and stay healthy, you will improve.

Question: How to slow down metabolism. Have nothing here to really lift with, could doing yardwork help? My cousin is turning 22 years old and he is really thin talking 5'5 110lbs and is desperate to change his metabolism and gain more weight. He does drink a lot of diet coke which is really bad for you, doesnt contain enough water or even milk. He eats A LOT including junkfood. He needs tips. Note: Skinniness does not run in the family.

Answer: Slowing down his metabolism is not the answer. Increasing his caloric intake is the answer, but not with junkfood. He needs protein, protein, protein. A healthier way would be to increase his peanut butter intake. It high in protein and the caloric ratio is much better as far as cholestoral and fats are concerned. I had a co-worker that packed on 25 pounds of muscle in 6 months by eating pbj sandwiches, lots of chicken breasts, hard boiled eggs, pastas, and whey protien shakes. But just chowing down on junkfood is not the answer. He moght gain weight but it will be with the possible side effects of diabetes, or high cholestorol, or high blood pressure. So tell him about his friend protein.

Question: What foods boot your metabolism and give you more energy? I am trying to eat healthier and increase my exercise so that I may get down to a healthy weight and maintain it. I've heard that protein shakes are good for breakfast but don't really know anything about which ones are good. What foods or shakes will boost my metabolism and give me more energy?

Answer: Nothing boosts your metabolism. There are many myths out there about metabolism. Your metabolism is the rate at which the cells in your body burn calories. The more active you become, the more your cells need calories and oxygen from your blood. The more active = the higher the calorie burn. Different cells in your body need different amounts of calories to operate. Hence, muscle burns more calories than a fat cell. There are many other myths about metabolism. The best being, that as we age our metabolism slows down. Not true. The rate at which a muscle cell or fat cell burns energy (Calories) does not change. The make up of your body changes overtime (as we age, we spend more time sitting and doing nothing - at work, studying in college, watching your kids play basketball - instead of you playing softball).

Question: How long does it take for your metabolism to slow down? I am on a diet and I binged for lunch and dinner having pretty much all of my calories except for 300 which I will have for dinner...I'm supposed to have a few snacks to keep my metabolism going but I can't afford the calories! Will my metabolism slow down if I skip the snacks only for today? I don't want to store fat.

Answer: You should space out your calories to keep your blood sugar constant all day so that your body is burning all the time and doesn't go into starvation mode. One day will not hurt, it takes months for a metabolism to change.

Question: How to speed up metabolism during a fast? I think exercise is supposed to help, but how else can you keep your metabolism active while fasting?

Answer: Red ginseng, guarana, green tea, spicy food, caffeine, yerba mate, oolong tea and weight lifting lifting will each boost your metabolism pretty well, if you combine one or more of them with CLA and/or l-carnitine and you should have a pretty strong fat loss programme, CLA and l-carnitine both help metabolise fat and stop as much food being stored as fat. Apple cider vinegar is also a very popular weight loss supplement.