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Keen To Be Lean? - Some Metabolic Musings


Metabolism is the process by which your body changes food into living tissue and changes living tissue into energy and waste products. Metabolic Rate is the speed at which the body uses energy (burns calories.)There are two genetically-determined types of people; those with a naturally low metabolic rate (slow fuel burners), and those with a naturally high metabolic rate (fast fuel burners). Slow fuel burners tend to have trouble keeping weight off.

Two primary concepts will help to explain how metabolic rate may be increased:

1.) Diet affects metabolic rate.

2.) Lean body mass, or muscle, is essential for fast and efficient fuel burning.

1.) Diet Affects Metabolic Rate

A balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy types/ quantities of fats, adequate supplies of vitamins and minerals, etc. will effectively fuel your metabolism. Taking in an appropriate number of calories to meet your needs by eating regular, healthy meals and snacking on healthy low calorie foods will keep your metabolism working efficiently throughout the day.

On the other hand, if you skip meals or follow a diet that's too low in calories, you will send the message to your body that you are starving. To compensate for this perceived threat of starvation your body will lower it's metabolic rate and you will burn fewer calories.

2.)Lean Body Mass, or muscle, is essential for fast and efficient fuel burning.

An average body burns about 2 calories per day per pound of fat and about 35 calories per day per pound of muscle. Muscles are always metabolically active, even when you are sleeping.

Weight-bearing exercise speeds up your metabolic rate quite simply because it builds muscle and for each pound of muscle gained, your body will burn about 35 more calories per day. As well, you will get the added benefit of burning off calories and fat deposits as a direct result of the energy used in doing the exercises. Exercise will help to attain a leaner, stronger, metabolically efficient body.

On the other hand, if you fail to exercise adequately while reducing your caloric intake, up to one third of the weight loss is likely to be muscle, not fat, leaving your body burning 35 fewer calories each day per pound of muscle lost. i.e. If you make your goal only a goal to 'lose 9 pounds', at the end of the diet you are likely to have lost up to 3 pounds of muscle and your body will be burning about 105 fewer calories per day. i.e. Again? your metabolic rate will have become slower, making it easy for the fat to creep back on in a short period of time.

In summary, for metabolism to function in prime form and lead to your attainment of that lean look you'd like to keep forever and learn to love, both a balanced diet and adequate exercise are required.

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Weight Loss in the News:

Drug Topics Magazine

Weight-loss surgery helps with pregnancy: study
Reuters - 5 hours ago
By Andrew Stern CHICAGO (Reuters) - Women who get pregnant after weight-loss surgery tend to be healthier and less likely to deliver a baby born with ...
Some Pregnancy-Related Complications Minimized for Women Who Have ... MarketWatch
Weight loss surgery may help obese women avoid pregnancy-related ... EurekAlert (press release)
Bariatric Surgery Before Pregnancy Benefits Moms, Babies U.S. News & World Report
Science Daily (press release) - Medscape (registration)
all 26 news articles


UPDATE 1-US Medicare wants limits for weight loss surgery
Reuters - Nov 17, 2008
... Nov 17 (Reuters) - Medicare, the US government's largest payer of health care, said on Monday it does not plan to cover weight-loss surgery in diabetic ...
CMS Will Not Cover Weight-Loss Surgeries for Non-Obese Diabetes ... Kaiser network.org
Medicare Wants to Cut Funding for Weight Loss Surgeries The ... Softpedia
all 17 news articles


Dairy saves bones during weight loss
Stock and Land, Australia - 22 hours ago
... Prof Weaver stressed how important it was for adolescents to maintain the recommended dairy food intake, even during low calorie weight loss diets, ...


Physical Activity After Bariatric Surgery Improves Weight Loss ...
Science Daily (press release) - Nov 17, 2008
"Bariatric surgery is quickly emerging as a standard treatment for severe obesity, although weight loss outcomes vary. These results suggest that patient ...


Aljazeera.net

Boxing legend De la Hoya confident despite weight loss to face ...
AFP - Nov 17, 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) — US boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya said Monday he has dropped pounds but no punching power ahead of his December 6 welterweight ...
Roach: "Hey Oscar, The Weight Loss Don't Impress Me" BoxingScene.com
OSCAR: No KO Would Be "Disaster" The Sweet Science
Oscar throws punches then jabs at Freddie Roach during media day 15rounds.com
Doghouse Boxing
all 314 news articles


Amazing Weight Loss Stories
WXii 12.com, NC - 12 hours ago
Kimberly Van Scoy is working on weight loss stories and we'd like to have your stories and contact information. Give us your e-mail if that's all the ...


Weight Loss Challenge comes to Swampscott
Swampscott Reporter, MA - Nov 17, 2008
Local area residents are invited to launch a 12-week non-profit Weight Loss Challenge that offers a quick, easy weight loss solution and long-term weight ...


I did it! Robyn Archuleta's weight loss story
The Virginian-Pilot, VA - Nov 17, 2008
Robyn Archuleta, a Virginia Beach resident, turned to Tidewater Bariatrics for weight loss help and dropped 100 pounds in eight months. ...


Dietitians fear weight loss advice 'dangerous'
The Dominion Post, New Zealand - 8 hours ago
Television weight loss show Downsize Me has sparked complaints from dietitians worried it tells people to lose too much weight too quickly – and dishes up ...
Dietitians complain about TV weight-loss series Scoop.co.nz (press release)
all 2 news articles


Weight Loss vs. Healthy Weight Loss for the Holidays
The Open Press (press release) - 23 hours ago
But they should know that there's a big difference between weight loss and healthy weight loss, and anyone who's starving to death will tell you so. ...

Weight-Loss - Google News



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