Metabolism

What is metabolism?
How to boost your metabolism?

Notes:
The NASM textbook refers Metabolism as  “All of the chemical reactions that occur in the body to maintain itself. Metabolism is the process in which nutrients are acquired, transported, used, and disposed of by the body.“

Basically metabolism is how your body uses energy to keep itself working.

What does this mean for weight loss? Metabolism is the rate that your body burns calories in order to sustain bodily functions. 

Metabolism is divided into two categories. Anabolic and Catabolic

• Catabolism is the breaking down of compounds to release energy.
• Anabolism is the building of compounds, which uses energy.

Switching between anabolic and catabolic states is normal, both states are necessary, but being in a catabolic state for too long will lead to muscle loss. On the other hand, being in the anabolic state helps to develop muscle, helps bones develop and increases bone density.

One way to increase the time in an anabolic state is to do anabolic exercises:
Anabolic exercises, which are often anaerobic in nature (without oxygen), generally build muscle mass and burn calories. These are weight lifting and sprinting
Catabolic exercises are usually aerobic (with oxygen) and good at burning fat and calories. Running, jumping jacks


Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for all its "hidden" functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells. 

Several factors determine your metabolism, including:
• Your body size and composition. People who are larger or have more muscle burn more calories, even at rest.

• Your sex. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight, which means men burn more calories.

• Your age. As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight, slowing down calorie burning.

When people say they have a slow metabolism, it just means that they have less calories to play around with at rest, if they say they have a fast metabolism, that means they can eat more calories to maintain their weight.

To lose a pound a week you would need to eat about 500 calories less than your maintenance calories, which would be 3500 less calories for the week.

Lets talk about how you can boost your metabolism:

stand up more
HIIT
Sleep – sleep cool
Meditate
Drink more cool water Studies have shown that drinking 17 ounces (0.5 liters) of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour 

Eat protein

Lift weights
Decrease your stress 

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

What this verse is telling me is to live in the present moment. Enjoy the now which is a principle of meditation that I try to follow.