Metabolism in a nutshell

 Metabolism is important for our daily lives. It helps to break down and create cells in the body. They are enzyme related reactions and are determined by Catabolic and Anabolic. The body is constantly working towards building and also breaking down matter for one purpose: Keeping itself going. 

By providing adequate amounts of food, the body will break it down and create new cells or repair what is broken! Amazing!

 How to make your metabolism work harder? Actually it is dependent on the lifestyle of the individual.

A sedentary individual will generally a lower metabolism compared to a person who works out regularly.

If both consume a sugar glazed doughnut, the individual who works out regularly will better utilize the nutrients from doughnut because the insulin spike after an intense workout promotes muscle recover and replenishes glycogen back into the muscles. 

As for a sedentary individual, it will most likely be part of the day’s caloric intake but if the body considers it an excess then it gets stored as fat.

Now for another example that will blow your mind. If an individual who works out 3 to 4 times a week but consumes an amount of carbohydrates lower then what is required by the body. What do you think happens? The body’s reaction is to store fat as well. But why?

The answer lies in the metabolism. Lower food consumption and eating lesser than what is required lowers the metabolic rate and in turn hinders fat burning. 

Hope you enjoyed this article and please share if you felt this was beneficial!

Next topic: Healthy Eating 101

Written By: Ryan Lye

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Tweaking Calories

Determining the basic caloric intake or maintenance calories takes some time and should be done gradually through a few weeks to months for the body to adapt to this new pattern. The key here is proper digestion and adequate enzymes to consume the amount of food that is required.

If the body does not digest the nutrients provided due to a sudden excess, it will either store it or get rid of it. Patience is virtue.

Take some measurements and monitor them monthly to make sure you are on track. If you have been gradually increasing calories but weight is still the same and body fat is decreasing or even maintaining, then good, keep increasing, you would be surprised how much your body requires. 

How often should I increase? The increments should be around 5% weekly for weight gain or even monthly depending on your goal. The weight gain is around 1 to 2 lbs per month. Take note that you want to have a good muscle : fat ratio! Meaning 2:1 or better.

However, if you notice your waist measurement is increasing quickly, perhaps it is good to slow the increase of calories as the body is starting to store fat due to the rate of absorption being low, low to slow metabolism or the workouts are not intensive enough to justify the increase in calories.

The key to success is consistency and understanding how your body works. For example if you are consuming too much simple carbohydrates through the day the insulin levels will be spiked and that slows metabolism. That is the reason why people feel sleepy if they consuming too much carbs after lunch. 

Choose slow digesting or carbohydrate choices that have lower glycemic scores such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, or rolled oats. Breads that are high in fiber would have a lower glycemic score compared to white bread.

If insulin is kept low to moderate and consistent throughout the day, metabolism will be kept stable. This in turn encourages fat loss. Exercise will always be the main method of heightening your metabolism and keep it high throughout the day. This is the most natural and best way to burn fat safely!

Next topic: Metabolism in a nutshell

Written By: Ryan Lye

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Find My Maintainence Calories

Last topic I touched on why does one store fat. So now how do I eat all the yummy food and slim down and get sexy? Hold on. It isn’t that simple. First you have to find out your maintenance calories. 

 I would suggest going to IIFYM and use the iifym calculator to determine your calories required. It is really user friendly so just take few minutes to key in your vital stats. 

 

An app that i would highly recommend downloading in conjunction with IIFYM is Myfitnesspal. Which helps track your caloric intake and if you are meeting your daily requirements of macro and micro-nutrients.

Once the number of calories has been determined based on your fitness goal, there will be a breakdown of how much proteins, fats and carbohydrates are required daily. The key is consistency. It is alright to have a 5% to 10% variance but the idea is to be hitting around the recommended amount and tweaking the macros according to how your body reacts.

Disclaimer: everyone has a different metabolic rates (e.g fast or slow), muscle mass and body type. Also the existing lifestyle, sedentary or active and how active.

I am sure there are other factors but these are the main ones that determine the amount of calories that you need.

Now homework is to find your maintenance calories!!!

Next topic: Tweaking my calories.

Written by Ryan Lye

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How to reduce body fat?

In my last article i mentioned about Macros and how we can continue to eat most foods and still be healthy. But before i get to that i want to touch on fat and how it accumulates in our body.

Blame it on low metabolism, too much work, lack of exercise. I am sure we all battle with it at some point. It is truly frustrating and the odds seem to be against us. 

But there is another reason why we store fat that most people don't realize.

Most people aren’t eating enough. 

When I asked my clients what they eat on a regular basis, some find it like a trick question or struggle to remember what they had yesterday. You see folks most of us just want to fulfil our body’s natural response. Satisfy hunger. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it fills us up. 

 

But what if you found out that you were eating too little and it actually caused you to store fat? 

The body is built for survival. If you are not eating enough the body’s natural response is to store fat. It’s that simple. But wait! If i eat very little carbs and more protein and vegetables for my meals why then does one still store fat? The key thing is calories. Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats all have calories. If the body is undernourished it will convert calories into fat and store it in the fat cells. Once the cells are full, they multiply. The source of the calories does not matter. 

The quality of each meal is also essential but overall if we eat adequately and moderately, the body will be inclined to not store fat as it knows that it has enough REGULARLY. 

That is why most fitness enthusiast understand this and they keep their meals consistent and maintain a proper caloric intake daily. Ever wondered how they maintained their slim fit figures and eat ice cream and fried chicken even though they eat fried chicken and ice cream regularly?

Well i am going to teach you how.

 

Stay tuned for the next topic: Finding my Maintenance calories

Ryan Lye

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What is Macros?

The festive season is upon us! Feasting and making merry! Before you start the holiday season I am going to provide a series of articles to kick start 2015 and achieve that fitness resolution that has been delayed for way too long. Welcome the world of Macros!

When I stumbled upon the term macros I did not understand what it meant. Ask most people at work and I bet you they will stare blankly at you. 

 

Let me fill you in about this term. 

Macros basically means macro-nutrients. The body requires both macro and micro-nutrients to sustain and maintain healthy. Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins are your main macro-nutrients and the various vitamins are micro-nutrients.

The question now is how much does one actually need to stay healthy? It is tricky and requires a bit of patience and some reading before one embarks on this journey. But once you get the hang of it and know what your daily macros are, you will be able to enjoy the foods you love more regularly and achieve that physique you always wanted!

Imagine eating bacon, pancakes and ice cream more regularly during the week, rather then restricting yourself to just over the weekend? And still achieving a six pack or a lean body? Well my friends welcome to the world of flexible dieting!

If you would like to find out more then please stay tuned every Monday and Thursday on our page!

Next topic: How to reduce Body Fat?

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