Despite
the old adage that metabolism is associated with weight, it’s
only a myth. There is not much validity to the ‘belief’ that slender
individuals have a high metabolism and overweight people have
slow ones.
While certain people may suffer from a thyroid condition which
in turn affects the metabolism, weight alone does not determine
one’s metabolism. In
actuality, weight loss or gain relies on the amounts of caloric
intake and how much energy is expended. When the body has more
incoming calories and has less calories being burned, weight
gain is inevitable. It makes the most weight sense that reduced
caloric consumption triggers weight loss. Metabolism is the
motor that uses the body’s fuel or energy.
In terms of medical
science’s definition of metabolism, it is the process by which
the body extracts energy from food. When the biochemical process
transpires, the calories originated from fats, carbohydrates
and proteins — are combined with oxygen to discharge the energy
the body requires to operate and function.
The amount of calories
that the body utilizes to burn calories is referred to as the
total energy expenditure. Three fundamental factors are comprised
of the total energy expenditure:
• General requirements.
Even when the body is sedentary it requires energy for fueling
the organs, blood circulation, breathing, regulating hormone
levels, the growth and rejuvenation of cells.
• Physical
exertion. Exercise coupled with physical activity and other
movements account for the utilization and expenditure of calories.
• Food
processing. Digestion, absorption and the process of transporting
food as well as how it is stored necessitates energy or calorie.
These processes account for approximately 10 percent of the
calories expended daily. By and large, the body's energy requirements
needed to process food remains relatively stable and does not
change.
Calories expended
to cover these basic functions are your basal metabolic rate.
Typically, a person's basal metabolic rate is the largest portion
of energy use, representing two-thirds to three-quarters of
the calories used each day. Energy needs for these basic functions
stay fairly consistent and aren't easily changed. |
