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Metabolism - What is it?

I hear Weight Watcher members talk about metabolism a lot! The problem is we usually talk about it without really understanding what it is and how much control we have over it. Here is some information from Weight Watchers that can clear up some of those things we might believe (or not).

METABOLISM...is the number of calories the body burns:
♦ At rest
♦ By digesting and absorbing food
♦ During physical activity

What is TRUE about Metabolism?

1. If I have a slow metabolism I have to just work with that.
Increasing physical activity, especially strength / resistance training to minimize loss of lean muscle mass will increase your metabolism.
Eating a well balanced diet (vitamins & some minerals are required for metabolism)and smaller more frequent meals will increase your metabolism.


2. We can’t stop the slowing of our metabolism due to age.
Aging lowers metabolism only because people tend to be less active and may not maintain their muscle mass.

3. The body goes into ‘starvation mode’, when you eat too little” and you stop losing.
Because the body becomes more efficient at burning fewer calories over time your metabolism can slow, but not shut down, meaning weight loss slows.
That’s why it’s critical that you set realistic expectations for your weight loss.
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