THE INIMITABLE STYLE OF GLORIA MIZZI - MaltaRightNow.com

| | LIFE&STYLE NUTRITION |
L&S BODY
Cliff Sultana Dip.PT (UK)
Triton Sport Co. Ltd
ËË www.tritonsport.com • cliff@tritonsport.com • tel 21431458 • mobile 99406597
Hi again! So last month I briefly explained what your metabolic rate consists of and the best way to have
it measured. That’s all well and good but why would you want to have your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
measured and what are the benefits
Factors Affecting Metabolism in Order Of
Greatest Impact To Least:
To answer these questions, let me start by explaining
what influences a person’s metabolic rate. Primarily
gender, age, weight, height and fat-free body mass
(meaning muscle tissue and bone) are the variables
used to measure your RMR. Studies have also shown
that men generally have a higher metabolism than
women due to higher testosterone levels. Children and
teenagers also dispose a higher metabolic rate because
of growth hormone.
As I explained in my last article, your Resting Metabolic
Rate does not account for all energy (calories)
expanded in a day. Below is an indication of how your
metabolism varies depending on your lifestyle choices
(partly extracted from Jesse Cannone’s tips on
metabolism, www.achieve-fitness.com).
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Muscle tissue (the higher the muscle mass, the higher the metabolism, as
muscle is live tissue and needs constant energy to function)
Meal frequency (the longer you go between meals the more your
metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Eat smaller portions more
often!)
Activity level (important but only if you match your eating to your
expenditure. Make sure you eat less than you burn!)
Food choices (ex. low-fat diets tend to result in poor hormone production
which leads to a slower metabolism)
Hydration (over 70% of bodily functions take place in water - not enough
water causes all your systems to slow down and unnecessary stress)
Genetics (some people have higher metabolisms than others - you can't
change genetics but you can still win the battle!)
Hormone production and function (think you have a slow thyroid Before
you go blame it on the thyroid first stabilize your blood sugar and throw in
some progressive exercise 2-3 times each week)
Stress (stress can also slow metabolism by placing extra stress and strain
on numerous systems. Plus, many people tend to overeat when "stressed
out")
So what I’m basically saying here is – stop storing new fat and start burning existing
fat! If your food intake is higher than the energy you burn in a day then you will store
new fat. It’s that simple. Quick-loss and fad diets will not help you lose weight, they
will only burn muscle tissue. Your body eats up muscle when it needs energy but you
won’t supply any because you are “dieting” and skipping meals.
Remember, losing weight through “dieting” will not result in a muscular, lean body,
though you will get a body consisting of fat and bone if that’s what you’re looking for!
So what should you do The answer is simple – keep eating the food you enjoy, only
IF you give the body just the right amount it needs. .
L&S | SEPTEMBER ’06 23