Metabolism plays a vital role in our body’s well-being. Everything from breathing to digesting food is possible due to metabolism, so it becomes crucial to keep it in check at all times. One of the things that metabolism has a direct impact on is weight management. Whether it is weight gain or weight loss, metabolism plays a crucial part. Have you heard people complain about barely eating anything and still gaining weight? Or people who can eat whatever they want, including junk, but it doesn’t help them with weight gain? In both cases, individuals are left with the feeling that there is something wrong with their bodies, and that is completely understandable. But why is it so? What is actually happening or causing it? Well, in both cases, metabolism is playing a part.
Fact: Metabolic slowdown can creep up on you, even when you least expect it, leading to unexpected weight gain.
Many people in the above-mentioned scenarios look for answers to their weight gain and are left with several questions such as – does metabolism have something to do with genes? Or what role does metabolism play in weight gain? The answer to both questions is not straightforward. But before we jump into those, let’s talk about metabolism, and then we will discuss what it has to do with weight gain.
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism is referred to as the process by which our bodies turn food and drink into energy and how the energy is further processed by cells to keep our bodies functioning. Everything that our body does, like breathing, sleep, sitting, or running, is possible due to metabolism.
Fact: The relentless nature of metabolism means that even when you’re at rest, it’s working tirelessly to sustain your body, which can be both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
Basal Metabolic Rate
As I said before, our bodies need energy even when doing nothing. So the basal metabolic rate is the number of calories our body uses while being in a resting position to do things like growing and repairing cells, breathing, blood circulation throughout the body, and keeping hormone levels in check.
Factors Affecting Metabolism
Muscle mass is one of the primary factors that influence the metabolic rate. Other than that, it is also affected by body composition, age, and gender. When it comes to women, oestrogen and oestradiol play a vital role in the regulation of body weight and metabolism. During menopause and perimenopause, there is a decline in levels of oestradiol. Due to this, some women can gain weight around their body’s midsection. And during older age, the loss of muscle mass also slows down metabolism drastically. This also leads to weight gain because of slower calorie burning.
Fact: Aging not only brings wisdom but also a terrifying metabolic decline, which can leave you feeling like your body is betraying you.
Other than the basal metabolic rate, there are two other ways our body has an influence over burning calories in a day.
How our body moves: Any type of movement our body makes, like walking, jogging, and others, makes up for all the calories burnt during the day. This can be significantly impacted by doing exercise.
How our body uses food: Everything from digestion, movement, and absorption of food games burn calories. Of all the calories you consume, almost 10% are used for food digestion and nutrient intake.
Metabolism & Weight Gain
Whenever your metabolism slows down, the chances are you might experience weight gain. Many people like to blame slow metabolism on a medical issue, but even if a disease has slowed your metabolic rate, it won’t cause weight gain as much as you might expect. There are health conditions like hypothyroidism, which happens due to an underactive thyroid gland, or Cushing syndrome, which can cause weight gain.
Weight gain depends on several other things as well, including diet, hormones, and lifestyle. Weight gain takes place when you consume more calories than you burn.
Fact: Your daily habits, such as diet and exercise, can tip the scales toward weight gain or weight loss.
There are factors that can slow your metabolism and, in turn, slow down the calorie-burning process:
- Age: As I said before, muscle mass is the primary thing that helps in burning calories. But as we tend to surpass the age of 30, the body’s muscle mass decreases from 3 to 8 percent every decade. As muscle burns more calories than fat, the decline in muscle mass significantly decreases the energy the body needs. But this is only one piece of the puzzle.
- Sleep: Our body depends a lot on sleep. Whether you believe it or not, going to bed at the right time and getting the right amount of sleep helps you burn calories faster and also fat.
- Mental Health: Do you know why mental health is so vital? Well, things like anxiety and stress can have a severe impact on metabolism. According to a 2015 study published in Biological Psychiatry, if you are stressed, then your body will have difficulty burning calories, which leads to weight gain.
Fact: Stress can unleash a metabolic nightmare, turning your body into a weight-gain machine.
Is there a way to boost metabolism?
You may find several articles on how to boost metabolism, but the simple answer to the question is – there is no scientific way defined to boost metabolism. The basic rate at which our body burns calories makes up for the largest consumption of energy, so it is tough to change. Basal metabolic rate depends on age, gender, and height; all things which are out of our control. However, a good diet and a better lifestyle can help us improve our weight management and also reduce the risk of gaining metabolic diseases like diabetes.
Lifestyle changes you can consider
Physical Activity: It is important to perform physical activity as it helps in burning 15-30% of the calories we eat. Exercising is good for health in many aspects. It keeps your body active, heart and lungs fresh, improves blood flow, and also helps in shedding extra calories.
Diet: The best way to keep our body weight in check is by consuming less food than your body needs. Food is the fuel needed to create energy, so it is important to have a balanced diet. Include stuff like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lentils, nuts, and seeds for a diverse source of protein.
Fact: Ignoring diet and exercise can lead to metabolic monsters like diabetes and heart disease.
Exercise along with diet can reduce the risk of developing any diseases related to heart high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
Final thoughts
Metabolism plays a vital role in our weight gain. Almost 60% of the energy we create using food intake is required to keep our body functioning, so it is essential to keep our diet and physical activity in check.