Weight loss can be a challenging task for even the most active and genetically healthy people, and those with slow metabolisms seem to struggle even more. But what if you could use your metabolism to make losing weight easier instead of harder? Metabolic weight loss is the term used to describe the process of regulating weight via diet and exercise. It sounds simplistic, but there is actually quite a bit of science behind it.
A person’s metabolism is simply the collection of internal processes that cause their body to consume energy. Everyone’s metabolism has three basic parts: the basal metabolism, which is the energy consumed in basic metabolic processes like breathing, blood circulation, hormone regulation, and so on; thermogenesis, which is the absorbtion and storage of food; and exercise, which consists of all the physical activity undergone throughout the day. A person’s basal metabolism and the energy they expend on thermogenesis are relatively constant, so the major way to increase your metabolism is by increasing your physical activity. However, there is one way to naturally increase your basal metabolism: changing your muscle to fat ratio.
Muscles burn more calories than fat, even when you aren’t actively exercising. Strength training to increase muscle mass combined with aerobic exercise to burn fat is one of the best methods to increase your basal metabolism.
There’s no easy solution to increasing your metabolism and losing weight. However, as you lose weight via diet and exercise, your basal metabolism increases slightly, which makes it easier to keep the weight off in the long run.
Consult your personal trainer or another health professional if you have more questions.
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