metabolism - WKTV Journal

Scrutinizing what you eat—and how much—will play an outsized role in shaping your metabolism in your mid-30s and beyond. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

Your metabolism rate determines how fast you burn calories. That can influence how fast you lose weight—and how easily you can gain it.

After age 25, metabolism naturally slows by 5 percent every decade.

So if you eat as much in your 40s as you did in your 20s, you’re going to add extra pounds—especially if you exercise less and lose muscle. In addition to weight training to maintain muscle, these tips from the American Council on Exercise can help.

Stick to well-spaced meals at the same times each day. This lets your body know to expect fuel at regular intervals and prevents it from conserving calories and adding to fat stores.

Calorie cutting is important if you need to lose weight, but reducing your intake to starvation levels also puts your body in conservation mode, slowing down metabolism.

So rather than speeding up weight loss, starvation ultimately slows it. And that’s why it’s so easy to regain lost weight when you start eating normally: Your metabolism tends to stay slow.

Dehydration can lead to a 2 percent drop in the number of calories burned, so drink at least eight glasses of water throughout each day and even more when you sweat a lot.

Watch the alcohol. Besides adding empty calories to your diet, processing alcohol diverts the liver from burning fat.

Also consider milk and other dairy choices for their calcium, a mineral involved in fat metabolism.

Dairy also delivers whey and casein—proteins that help build and preserve muscle. Remember that the more muscle you have, the more calories it takes to maintain it.

Finally, keep the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness on an even keel by getting enough sleep—at least seven hours a night.

Otherwise, you might find yourself craving sugary, fatty and starchy foods. Plus if you’re sleep-deprived on a regular basis, your body may not burn calories efficiently.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Boost your metabolism by eating a wholesome breakfast each day. This is just one of a few ways to rev up your calorie-burner. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Spectrum Health Beat Staff

Unfortunately, it’s true: Our metabolism slows down as we age.

On average, we lose 2 to 8 percent of our muscle mass per decade, and that slows our metabolic rate.

A recent article in U.S. News & World Report cites the importance of maintaining lean muscle to combat the decline.

“Strength training can help decrease this process, but adjusting your diet to eat less is also critical,” said Jill Graybill, a registered dietitian at Spectrum Health.

You can speed up your metabolism, but don’t be fooled by claims that popping a few supplements or eating certain foods will get the job done, Graybill cautioned.

“There is a lot of misinformation on this subject,” she said. “Most of it is smoke and mirrors.”

Genetics can give some people an edge, but the best way to increase your metabolism is to adopt a few good habits, including these:

1. Build resistance

Use resistance exercise to build more lean muscle mass. More muscle burns more calories, even at rest.

2. Eat breakfast

The morning meal has been shown to jump-start the metabolic process.

3. Eat every four hours

This little trick speeds up your metabolism. Skipping meals slows it down.

4. Think protein

Include protein each time you eat. It takes more energy to break down, again, revving up your metabolic rate. Sources include dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, eggs and meat. Plus, protein is slower to digest, so you feel full longer.

5. Eat enough

Yes, even while losing weight. A diet that is too low in calories slows your metabolism to a crawl. Don’t sabotage your efforts by eating too little. Most people should not go lower than 1,200 calories a day or they risk not meeting their nutritional needs. Only go lower if you’re under medical supervision.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.