Get to know your metabolism

Have you ever used the term ‘metabolism' in passing, to describe how one person doesn't stop eating yet never gains any weight? Getting to know your own metabolism could be the missing link to losing weight and keeping it off.

Metabolism is the process in the body that is responsible for burning calories and producing energy. The speed of our metabolism varies dramatically from person to person but the faster it is the more calories we will burn each day. There are several factors that have a bearing on the speed of our metabolism, and ironically, weight loss diets can actually cause it to slow.

Kick start your metabolism today

Eat little and often

If you want to lose weight, it might seem logical to eat less but this isn't always the best approach. If you restrict your daily calorie intake your body will stop burning food for energy, holding onto it instead as ‘reserve fuel.' This means that your metabolism will slow. If you're overweight, you will also have a slower metabolism and even if you eat very little you might find yourself gaining weight. Eating frequent small meals helps us to maintain our metabolism at its peak rate and kick start weight loss.

Exercise

When we exercise our metabolism increases but this increase can actually last for up to eight hours after your workout is over. Eating within half an hour of finishing exercise will help to prolong this boost. Choose a food containing complex carbohydrates and some protein, such as a turkey sandwich on wholemeal bread.

Add resistance training to your exercise programme

Resistance training builds lean muscle tissue which is crucial to the speed of our metabolism. One pound of muscle can burn around 50-60kcals per day compared with 10kcals per pound of fat. Choose exercises that work the major muscle groups of the body, such as squats, chest press and lat pulldowns

Eat metabolism boosting foods

Green Tea, hot peppers and black coffee are just a few of several foods that claim to have metabolism boosting effects. Increasing the amount for protein in the diet, from lean meats, such as turkey, and fish, can be particularly beneficial as they also help to build lean muscle tissue.

Get a good night's sleep

Research has indicated that the amount of sleep we get, as well as the quality of our sleep, affects the speed of our metabolism. It is thought that a lack of sleep causes a decrease in leptin and an increase in ghrelin, hormones that are responsible for controlling our appetite and metabolic rate.

Naturally big boned?

Many of us blame own bodies for a lack of weight loss. How many times have you heard someone claim to be naturally ‘heavy' or ‘big?' Some scientists agree that we have a preprogrammed weight that we gravitate towards or a set point to which we always return, but it is possible to beat this, just by boosting your metabolism. By burning a significantly higher amount of calories each day your body will adjust and its set point will lower. When we lose weight, our metabolism actually shifts to a normal rate for that new weight, independent of individual differences

Suspect low thyroid function?

The thyroid gland, located in the lower front of the neck, produces hormones that are extremely important for the regulation of the body's metabolism. When the thyroid gland is unable to produce sufficient amounts of these hormones, the body's metabolism slows, often leading to weight gain. If you suspect low-thyroid function you should make an appointment with your doctor. Although there is no cure for hypothyroidism, it can be easily treated so that your metabolism returns to normal