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We have all heard that having a fast metabolism makes it harder to gain weight and is as a result the golden ticket for weight loss and weight maintenance. This is absolutely true- but if we don’t know exactly what metabolism is and how it can be affected…well this piece of information is really just a cool repeated fact. Knowing what your body needs and how it works is essential if you really want to lead a healthy life-style. So, look no further, here is metabolism in a nutshell!
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What is Metabolism?
Metabolism simply put is the combination of chemical and physical processes that your body undertakes in order to convert food into the energy we need to survive. When speaking of metabolism, we are usually referring to Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). In other words, the rate at which your body burns calories while at rest. If you have a slow metabolism it takes longer for your body to burn calories; if you have a speedy metabolism, your body is quick to burn calories. Note that when speaking of BMR, we are indicating the rate recorded during rest and not influenced by training or exercise.
So, what exactly conditions our metabolism and what can we do to speed it up? In the next section I will talk about 6 major elements that affect our metabolism. I have outlined them in the form of habits to break while also giving an indication as what you should be doing instead.
1. You Skip Breakfast
As discussed above, metabolism involves food being converted into energy. If we go long periods without food, our body doesn’t receive enough nutrients to replenish our energy. The word breakfast in itself describes how it should be a meal that breaks the fast. Usually we have our last meal anywhere around 5.30-10 pm and don’t have another until 5-9 am. That means our body is not receiving any nutrients anywhere from 6-12 hours! Now granted our metabolism slows down while we sleep, we still need renewed energy in the morning!
How many people whip up a cup of coffee in the morning and then are off to work? And how many people proceed to drink coffee as a pick-me up throughout the day? As I am in no way saying that breakfast can be a substitute to caffeine, I am saying that having that morning breakfast gives you that boost of energy that you need to get your body back up and running.
As having breakfast is a habit in itself, most people that are not used to it are not at all hungry in the morning or in some cases even nauseous. I was the same! I was never hungry as soon as I woke up. Of course, I would not eat and then in the span of the next two hours develop the appetite of a lion and proceed to eat the most convenient or handy snack- which obviously either came out of a vending machine or a café. (In point # 2, I will talk about how quality of food affects metabolism).
Suggestions
So, two suggestions of mine are:
A. Try waking up earlier.
You will see that by the time you have showered, read the paper, put on your makeup, made your to-do list, you will have developed an appetite. (View my post on 8 Life-Strategies to Help You Stay Grounded to read up on the benefits of waking up earlier.)
B. Start small.
You don’t have to start with a Denny’s all-around continental breakfast! Maybe start with a yogurt and a protein shake. Something that is a little less heavy on the stomach and see how it goes for a couple months. I guarantee you will see a big difference not only in energy but in your overall mood. Nowadays if I skip my breakfast you definitely don’t want to cross paths with me LOL!
2. Your Carbs are White
How many of you are sick of hearing that eating whole grains/wheat is better for you?? Haha, I know I am! But hate to break it to you ladies, it is soooooo true.
So why does switching to wheat toast help with metabolism?
Let’s talk about carbs. We could literally spend an entire year on carbs but to make it simple, there are refined carbs and there are unrefined carbs. Refined carbs (where all things white fall into place) are grains that have been processed, making them easier to digest. These types of carbs are basically stripped of all their fiber and have 50-90% less vitamins with respect to un-refined carbs. This by itself could already be enough motivation to switch to whole grains.
The real motivating factor however is how they negatively affect metabolism.
Because refined carbs are much easier to digest, the body does not need nearly as much energy to break them down. In other words, your body does not have to burn much in order to convert refined carbs into energy. Contrarily, unrefined carbs have a more complex structure that makes it much harder to break down. As a result, your body needs to work much harder to digest, consequently using up more calories and boosting metabolism.
So how does energy come into play?….
Energy and Hunger with White Carbs
How do we actually get our energy from carbs? Well first-off, during digestion carbs are broken down into sugars which are subsequently released into the bloodstream. When levels of sugar rise in the blood stream, the body naturally wants to bring that sugar level back down to a balance. To do this, the body produces insulin in order to absorb the sugar from the blood and transform it into energy. This having been said, our body naturally cycles from states of high blood sugar and states of normal blood sugar.
Blood Sugar
How fast this sugar is released into the body has an enormous effect on our energy and hunger-cycle. Because refined carbs are so quickly digested we experience a spike in our blood sugar level. This means we have a brief sprout of energy followed immediately by a downer. This is the famous sugar affect that kids get- they flip out a little and then seem to go into a sort of comatose state. This is directly linked to their blood sugar levels. Not only is energy affected, but hunger-cycle is as well. Because they are digested so quickly your body feels hungry much sooner.
This is why that café stop in the morning is sooooo detrimental. After that croissant or muffin, not only will you need another five coffees in the next hour to stay awake, but you will also feel like another muffin after about 5 minutes. This just fuels a damaging chain cycle of more and more carbs feeding a perpetual state of fatigue and cravings. No wonder you always have the munchies!!
Unrefined carbs instead take longer to digest. This means that your blood sugar level rises gradually allowing more stable energy levels and a longer feeling of satiation. So, if you often feel desperately hungry and tired, think about your metabolism and make the healthy choice with whole wheat. I guarantee you will be less moody and will wonder why you didn’t make the switch sooner! Energy is especially important before working out. Check out this post for some excellent pre-workout snack ideas.
3. You are Not Eating Enough and/or Skipping Meals
Many people believe that dieting is the key to weight loss. Wrong!!! Well I for one don’t believe in restrictions. I find them number one, unfeasible, and number two, unnecessary. Why should I have to give up a nice juicy burger or an awesome fudge sundae?? I mean life has some wonderful pleasures…eating, and well drinking :D, are definitely a big part. The real key is moderation. If you consistently eat quality food and follow some kind of exercise plan… well that pizza, sundae, or Cheeto is not going to make a difference!
Secondly, people believe “well okay, well maybe besides restricting my diet I just have to eat less. I mean I will burn more calories than what I will be consuming, so duh…weight loss!” Wellllll yes and no. The theory behind this concept is absolutely correct; the problem is that skipping meals actually creates further problems. Meal-skipping is an absolute no-no. Your poor metabolism loses all sense of what is going on! To paint a quick picture, you start feeling hungry because your body necessitates nutrients to produce energy and fuel your body processes. If you do not feed your body, the body is signaled that there is a deficiency in nutrients and so responds by holding onto energy stores instead of using them as an energy source. This results in slower metabolism. Not only will you feel groggy and tired, but you will always feel hungry!
My Meal Habits
Throughout the day, for time and commodity’s sake I have constant snacks. I have a large breakfast in the morning and about every two hours have a snack. I do this to make sure that my body is always being replenished for energy and welllllllll …because I tend to get hungry very quickly :D! I include foods that are high in protein and fiber that allow me to feel full longer. Plus, I love the constant energy it gives me throughout the day! If I skip a snack I immediately sense a drop in my energy and get all moody…something to avoid, not just for me but for my partner’s sake :D!!
4. You Skip Sleep
The first thing we start to skip when things get busy is unfortunately sleep. Sleep however is the last thing we should be sacrificing as it helps regulate so many of our bodily processes. Not only does the body undergo restoration and reparation during this time but a healthy sleeping routine promotes a strong immune system and regulates the activity and production of many hormones. In fact, one of the main reasons metabolic function is negatively impacted by lack of sleep is due to the disruption of hormones.
Hormones & Glucose
To make it simple, our BMR (basal metabolic rate) is regulated by our thyroid. TSH, (thyroid stimulating hormone) in turn produces two hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine that stimulate our metabolism. Studies have shown that by reducing sleep by just two hours TSH can decrease by as much as 30%, leading to a much slower metabolism.
Moreover, sleep deprivation has been shown to markedly reduce glucose tolerance, or in other words the rate at which glucose is cleared from the bloodstream. A study by the International Journal of Endocrinology shows that insulin production drops by as much as 30% when sleep is reduced by just two hours. This not only alters your metabolic and endocrine functions but if prolonged in time can lead to a real risk for type II diabetes!!
Appetite
Just as it affects your T3 and T4 hormones, sleep deprivation causes your famous appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin to go out of whack as well! Leptin is the hormone that tells your body when you no longer need to eat, while ghrelin is the hormone that makes you feel hungry. In the same study as above, an 18% reduction in leptin levels and a 28% increase in ghrelin levels was reported after sleep deprivation. In other words, when you sleep less, the body signals hunger more easily and needs to eat more for the body to feel satiated. This is why if you lose sleep you are more likely to make poor nutritional decisions!! So, sleep those minimum 7 hours and I guarantee that those cravings will dwindle!
5. You Skip Water
There have been many studies conducted demonstrating that on average individuals who consume more water have a faster metabolism than those who consume less water. A study by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that by drinking a mere additional 500ml of water, metabolic rate in both men and women rises by 30%. By increasing water consumption by 1.5 liters, energy expenditure increases by approximately 50 calories a day. Not much, but if you get to the 2-3 liters actually recommended a day, I guarantee it makes a difference! Check out my post 7 Reasons Drinking Water Keeps you Young and Fit.
6. You Skip Protein
Although both carbs and protein contain the same calories per gram, they require significantly different energy loads to be digested. This concept is known as the thermic effect- in other words, the number of calories needed for the body to process the specific macronutrient at hand. Nutritional consultant Mike Roussell compares the thermic effect of proteins, carbs, and fats in this handy table:
PROTEIN | 20-35% calories burned during digestion |
CARBS | 5-15% calories burned during digestion |
FATS | 0-5% calories burned during digestion |
So, this means if you have 100 g of protein, by just digesting you could be burning one third of what you just consumed. If you have 100g of fat, well, you’re pretty much stuck with the whole lot. Read up on my post How Much Protein Do You Really Need? for more information and please remember that a balanced diet is always key. If you are not involved in any physical activity, make sure you do not overdo the proteins!
Remarks
So, girls these are the 6 quick fixes for a healthy metabolism. It’s okay if you’re hungry- clearly your body needs food in that moment. Try implementing these healthier habits and I guarantee that not only will your hunger cycle change but you will feel more energized and more alive. Energy is key, and high energy leads to productivity which leads to mental satisfaction which leads to balance! Haha, whoever thought boosting your metabolism could not only help with weight loss but with mental and emotional health as well?? I’m telling you girls, it’s allllll related! Hope this was helpful and let me know how these new tips go!
Happy Habits!
This blog post is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. Please read my full disclosure for further information.
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