Weight Loss And Your Metabolism

Most of us know that there is a connection between weight and metabolism. The question is how?

It's commonly thought that a thin person has a high metabolism. Also, that someone who is heavy has a low metabolism. The truth is that there is more to it than your metabolism. Your metabolism is not the only factor in determining your weight.

Your weight, to a large extent, is based on the balance of calories that are consumed versus the amount of calories burned. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. When you consume less, you lose weight. Therefore, metabolism is the mechanism that utilizes these calories and the scale that regulates your energy.

In other words, your metabolism is the means by which you convert food into energy. Calories from carbs, fats and protein are combined with oxygen, which in turn releases the necessary energy for your body to function.

Total energy expenditure is the number of calories which are burned each day. Total energy expenditure consists of three factors.

1/ Basic Needs: Your body still requires energy even when at rest. The calories required to cover basic functions are the basal metabolic rate.

Two thirds to three quarters of the calories used each day are from the basal metabolic rate. The energy required for basic functions remain fairly consistent and are not easily changed.

2/ Food Processing. 10 percent of the calories used each day are for digestion, transporting and the storing of food consumed. The body's energy requirement to process food remains relatively constant.

3/ Physical Activity. Any other activity that you perform accounts for the rest of the calories used. The number of calories burned is the direct result on the frequency, duration and the intensity of your activities.

It seems logical to assume that being overweight is directly related to having a low metabolism. The truth is that it is uncommon for excess weight to be related to a low metabolism. It's also true that most weight problems are not related to a medical condition.

Being overweight is most likely due to an energy imbalance. Simply put, you're consuming more calories than you need. In order to lose weight it's necessary to create an energy deficit by consuming fewer calories and to increase the amount of calories burned by physical activity.

Many factors influence your calorie requirements. These include body size and type, age and sex.

To function efficiently, larger bodies require more calories than do smaller bodies. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Therefore, the more muscle you have in relation to fat, the higher your basal metabolic rate.

When we age, the amount of muscle decreases and fat will account for more of your weight. Also, metabolism slows with age. These changes will reduce your need for calories. Your ability to change your basal metabolism is limited. However, you can increase daily exercise and activity to build muscle tissue and burn more calories.

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Kathryn Soloff is the mother of 8 children and a natural foods cook for over 30 years. She is co-publisher of http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/weight_loss/ where she provides additional advice, tips and hard to find information on Weight Loss.