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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