Thursday, June 25, 2009

Jump Start Metabolism - How Metabolism Controls Our Weight!

By Dan Beckwith

Have you realized that some people can eat whatever they want and never gain weight? Or have you thought about why some people can lose weight on a diet and others can not? Maybe you need to jump start metabolism.

Your weight loss issues have to do with your metabolism. Each person has their own metabolic rate that is unique.

Our metabolic rate is the rate at which we burn calories or store them as fat, just to sustain life. We burn calories constantly - even while sleeping. Muscles burn calories even when we aren't doing anything physical, because of this muscles are said to be "metabolic reactive". One quick and easy way to jump start metabolism is to get more muscle.

More muscle in the body, means more calories burned. That is the reason why weight loss plans always require exercise.

The food we eat (healthy foods jump start metabolism, junk foods slow it down turning calories into fat) and our levels of activity are big determinants to our metabolic rate, but there are others. Here are a few:

Age and metabolism are related, since metabolism slows with age.

Stress is also influential. More and more studies are linking obesity with stress on the job and in the home. Aside from our tendency to eat more when stressed, it's been discovered that stress actually interferes with some of the normal processes in the body which in turn slows our metabolism. Seems odd, but yoga or meditation could be a key to jump start metabolism!

Another factor is sleep. Studies show not getting enough sleep or even getting too much sleep can interfere with metabolism. To jump start metabolism, most people should aim to get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night.

Genetics play a role in metabolism. This is probably very obvious. Overweight parents tend to lead to overweight offspring. Some genetic health conditions, such as thyroid disease, can also play a role in weight. This is why seeing a doctor before beginning any weight loss plan is advised. It will remove any nagging doubts about your health before you undertake a program to jump start metabolism.

Most diets include advice about drinking plenty water. Most diets say it is to make you feel full so you don't overeat. While that may be a good idea, it is not the entire story as to why water helps with weight loss. Water helps in weight loss because it hydrates the body, flushes out toxins and keeps excess water stored in the body to a minimum. All of this leads to a speedier metabolism and more weight loss.

Want to know more about how to jump start metabolism? Check out all the information about your metabolism and losing weight at my website. Also get my FREE mini-course Fast Weight Loss Tips!

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