Metabolism is the energy intake and processing of nutrients in the body. It is a kind of transformation of the products of digestion into waste. Metabolism works within our body continuously for 24 hours a day.
When you use any food, enzymes and the digestive tract convert them into energy that supports our body. The faster the metabolism works, the more energy is consumed from food, a person gains less weight.
Basal metabolism means the minimum amount of energy the human body needs to work effectively. Anyone who knows the speed of his metabolism, can properly make up your diet and lose weight over time.
How to find out your metabolic rate
There are several calculation formulas, the results are about the same, so here’s an example of the simplest method:
Women: (1.85 x height in cm) + (9.55 x weight in kg) - (4.67 x age) + 655 = your metabolic rate.
Men: (5 x height in cm) + (13.6 x weight in kg) - (6.7 x age) + 66 = your metabolic rate.
To calculate correctly, you first need to perform the steps in brackets. The result should be in the range of 1000 to 3000 calories. On the one hand, this formula is quite simple, it is calculated on the basis of height, weight and age, but does not take into account other factors affecting the metabolism:
- The amount of muscle mass. The calculation does not take into account the number of muscles. What is the difference? Example: two women (or men), 30 years old, weight 80 kg, height 170 cm. But one of them plays sports, has 5 kg more muscle mass (the second one has 5 kg more fat). Since in the human body with muscles, calories are burned faster even at rest, then, accordingly, the first woman has a higher basal metabolism than the second. But, according to the calculation formula, the speed of both will show the same (1593 kcal).
- Genetics. The influence of genetics on the inaccuracy of the calculation of the rate of metabolism is of great importance. Someone is thin, someone has heavy bones, others have muscle mass. None of these factors is taken into account, therefore, reflects the inaccuracy of the calculation.
- The use of metabolic values for weight loss. Calculate the number of calories per day possible. But, if you want to lose weight, then you need to know how many calories you burn during physical activities. And there is already a problem. Weight loss tablets, which show how much you burn during one or another activity, will not give accurate information. Again, two people with the same physical activity will not burn the same number of calories, since each person is an individual.
- If a person wants to lose weight, then calculating the speed and calories is not enough. One of the most important factors in healthy weight loss are proper nutrition and regimen. If your calculations show that you have to lose weight, then in reality everything can be completely different. Remember - numbers can lie too.
Basal metabolism has a great effect on weight loss. If your body burns more calories, then the process of losing weight will be easier for you.
If you want to speed up your metabolism and lose weight, do not forget about physical activity, a sufficient amount of protein in the diet. If you choose a hunger strike or a meaningless diet for weight loss, your body will burn its own muscle mass, which will have a bad effect on health.
What can disturb the metabolism
Most often in various sources we find information on how to speed up the metabolism. But what about those factors that can break it?
Stress state.
Stress state.When you are in a state of stress, hormones of cortisol are produced, which cause the desire for overeating, therefore, you gain weight. An increase in body weight slows down the metabolism.
It is best to avoid stressful situations, but unfortunately this is not always possible, so at least try to practice various anti-stress methods (for example, breathing, relaxation, meditation, yoga, exercise, etc.).
- Hormonal imbalance.
Studies have shown that aging animals are gaining weight without "eating" a lot of calories. This can happen in the human body too, as the level of hormones changes throughout life.
The first fault lies with estrogen (female sex hormone). If you suspect a hormonal imbalance, consult your doctor about a safe solution to this problem.
- Lack of sleep.
If you want to adjust your metabolism, do not miss the rest time. When a person lacks sleep, carbohydrates are poorly metabolized, leading to a chain reaction. In the absence of metabolism of complex carbohydrates, blood sugar levels increase.
Thus, insulin levels increase, giving the body a sign so that it in turn puts aside unused energy in the form of fat. To stop this cycle - change your mode, if possible, sleep, wake up every day at the same time, even on weekends.
Excess fat intake.
Excess fat intake.When you eat a lot of fatty foods, your metabolism slows down and saves fat for later use, which leads to weight gain. To avoid this, eat lean meat, sometimes low-fat dairy products, eat a lot of healthy unsaturated fatty acids, which are found, for example, in nuts, avocados or fish.
- Some medicines may increase weight.
Some medications can slow down the metabolism, and then you notice how your waist gets wider. It is known that changes in the metabolism of some people cause antidepressants, steroids, hormones and drugs for the treatment of diabetes.
Consult your doctor if you suspect that you are gaining weight due to the use of medicines. The doctor will prescribe other medicines, change the dose, or suggest the best time to take them.
- Health problems.
Typical conditions that slow down, disturb the metabolism - these are diseases such as hypothyroidism, reduced function of the thyroid gland, when it does not produce enough hormones. But be careful - most people blame the thyroid gland and other organs for being overweight, while overeating and having a sedentary lifestyle.
To address this issue, you need to contact an endocrinologist, who will tell you what to do next in case of a problem. If everything is normal, you most likely have no choice but to eat less, play more sports.
Lack of physical activity, physical inactivity.
Lack of physical activity, physical inactivity.If you do not have regular physical exertion, fat is formed in the body, which slows down the metabolism. When you exercise, your heart works harder, so blood can distribute nutrients to the muscles.
Muscles work - metabolism accelerates. Try, for example, interval workouts that burn calories even after exercise.
You can alternate running with a sprint or ride a bike over bumps and uphill. Regular exercise improves metabolic functions in the long term.
- Eat too little food.
Not only overeating, but also malnutrition can slow down the metabolism. If you go too far with a diet, consume too few calories, you harm your metabolism.
The body slows down the burning of calories. Even if you want to lose weight, eat so as not to feel hunger. The best option is small portions during the day, approximately every 3 hours.
In addition to all these factors, there are several other reasons that disturb your metabolism:
- alcohol;
- menstruation in women;
- dehydration;
- lack of protein and calcium;
- too small portions of food;
- lack of breakfast.
How to speed up the metabolism for weight loss: ways and tips
In order to put your metabolism in order and speed it up, you must regularly follow the basic rules:
- Do not forget about tea and coffee.
Green tea and coffee have a positive effect on your metabolism. One cup of freshly ground coffee in the morning speeds up your metabolism by 3-4%. Green tea, in addition to other beneficial properties, regulates blood sugar levels, removes the feeling of fullness in the stomach, reduces cholesterol levels and neutralizes water fats.
- Consume more than 1200 calories per day.
It may sound illogical, but it has been proven that metabolism and proper burning of calories leads to weight loss. So it is better to eat more than less. For a moderate active lifestyle, our body needs to release 1400-1700 kcal per day.
With less, our metabolism cannot function efficiently. If your body gets less calories, it goes into the "starvation mode" and stores all the calories.
Of course, this does not mean that you should lean on pasta or bakery products. You need to make sure that you get enough calories from the nutritional ingredients of foods such as legumes, vegetable oils, avocados and olive oil.
- Regular breakfast.
Metabolism works continuously, therefore, almost continuously needs a supply of substances that will support its work. Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day.
Every morning when you wake up, your metabolism is still working, but slowly, since the last meal was more than 8 hours ago. A hearty, wholesome breakfast will give the body the necessary energy and speed up the metabolic process.
- Walking.
The simplest form of physical activity is available to everyone. It is simple and effective. Don't underestimate walks. Sunlight and fresh air increase physical activity, speed up the metabolism and activate the body's defenses.
- Laugh.
When a person laughs heavily and a lot, he feels a surge of heat. This is because during laughter the body produces and releases a large amount of heat. Laughing is also a great helper for fast metabolism.
- Drinking mode.
Water is an important part of the metabolic rate. Dehydrated body slows down metabolism.
Products and preparations
What foods speed up metabolism? According to recent studies, it was found that acetic acid helps burn fat in the body. Eat more fish, not only is this product classified as a diet food, it is rich in omega-3, has a positive effect on the thyroid gland and helps speed up the metabolism.
Milk and dairy products will help lose weight if you use them in moderation.
Dairy products contain vitamin B3, nicotinamide, which helps burn fat.
Watermelon is a great way to achieve a slim figure. It contains a minimum of sugar and a maximum of nutrients. Grapefruit is highly valued in the diet, it suppresses sugar cravings, lowers blood sugar levels and improves metabolism.
By consuming 80 g of almonds every day, you will perfectly stimulate your body to lose weight. Apples can help you lose weight, due to the high content of fiber and antioxidants. Broccoli stimulates and activates the metabolism, eliminates the feeling of hunger, protects the body from obesity.
In addition to food, drugs that burn fat, which can be purchased at the pharmacy, will help speed up the metabolism. These are hormonal agents, anabolics (Danabol, Anavar) and stimulants.
Exercises to speed up metabolism
What exercises to do, so that there is an accelerated metabolism? The best and most accessible exercise is walking or jogging on the spot. These exercises do not require costs and a lot of time.
You can go anywhere and as long as you want. Squats and lunges forward, not only develop several muscle groups, but also help speed up the metabolism.
Pushups from the floor, swinging the press, lying on the floor strengthen almost all muscles and have a positive effect on metabolism and the body as a whole. When performing exercises you need to remember about proper breathing.
Acceleration of metabolism is partly in your hands. You can only correct it in the right and active way of life.
And a few more simple and effective tips - in the next video.
