I was a “90 pound weakling” during my adolescent years and was always reminded that one day my metabolism would slow down and I would gain weight. In my 20’s, I was a size 0 or XXS. I’m now 48 at the date of writing this post and have grown to a size 4-6 or S/M. I’ve always been aware of the fact that my metabolism would eventually slow down and it would be harder to maintain my ideal weight. I have seen first hand how much more difficult it is to keep the pounds off without any effort. Through the years, I focused on adjusting my workout routines and my eating habits to maintain my weight today. Below I’ve included information I’ve found online regarding how to increase your metabolism.
Metabolism 101
“Your body can burn calories from either fat, protein, or carbs,” says John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, president of Precision Nutrition, and author of The Metabolism Advantage. “Of course, you’d rather it burn fat calories, but your body isn’t wasteful; it will burn fat only when it needs energy.”
One such time is during exercise, but it’s difficult to exercise all the time, especially if you’re stuck at a desk all day. Luckily, your body requires extra energy at other times, too, such as during the first hour or two after intense exercise like interval training and weight lifting. This is called the “afterburn” effect, Berardi says, and it can last for up to 24 hours. Strength training with heavier than usual weights uses up energy, too — in order to repair small (healthy) muscle tears.
How Age Changes Your Metabolism
Starting at about age 25, the average person’s metabolism declines between 5% and 10% per decade, Berardi says, which means that the typical North American loses between 20% and 40% of their metabolic power over the course of their adult life span.
The good news? A vastly slowed down metabolism isn’t inevitable, he says. It only occurs because North Americans tend to become far less physically active over the course of their lives. In fact, research shows that people who preserve their physical activity levels throughout their lifetime can expect to see only a 0.3% metabolic decline per decade.
This article discusses the habits necessary to increase your metabolism.
Today’s child obesity rate scares the crap out of me because I’m afraid the future health of our nation is truly in danger. I hope parents step up to the plate, by being the role model for their children. Learning all we can about identifying and maintaining a healthy weight is the first step.
I welcome your comments about your weight loss challenges and triumphs.
