Increasing Your Metabolism

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is a biochemical process by which your body breaks down food and converts food into
energy.

3 Factors that determine your metabolic rate or energy needs:

1) Basal Metabolic Rate
(BMR) [60-75% of needs]: energy needed for basic body functions like
breathing, growing/repairing, blood circulation. BMR is based on age, sex, body size, and amount of
lean body mass.

2) Food Processing (Thermogenesis) [10% of needs]: Energy needed to breakdown and digest food.

3) Physical Activity
[15-30% of needs]: Energy needed to perform
your daily activities and exercise (i.e. walking, running, cleaning the
house, etc.).

The 3 keys to increasing
your metabolic rate are to increase your lean body mass, increase your daily
physical activity and consume a diet adequate in calories and protein. And here
is how…

4 Steps to Boost your Metabolism

1. Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise works to
increase your metabolic rate and is the most efficient way to burn
calories.
Examples: walking, running,
playing tennis/basketball, cycling, etc.
Your body not only burns
calories while exercising but continues to burn calories for a period of
time after exercise.
Higher intensity workouts
increase basic metabolic rate more than moderate intensity workouts (e.g.
running vs. jogging).
Aim for at least 30 minutes of
aerobic exercise 5 days a week.

2. Strength Training

Strength training helps build lean body mass and
increases your daily basal metabolic rate.
The higher your percentage of lean body mass the more
calories your body burns a day. This is because lean body mass burns more
calories than fat mass.
Exercise examples: Weight Lifting, Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, Pilates, etc.
Aim for strength training exercises at least 2-3 times
per week.

3. Protein

Your body burns
more calories digesting protein than fat or carbohydrates. Therefore, diets with a higher percentage of protein
have a higher percent of calories burned through thermogenesis.
Dietary protein also helps build/maintain lean body mass.
How much protein do you need a day? 50% ideal
body weight (e.g. Ideal weight: 140 pounds= need ~70 grams protein per
day
Include protein at each meal/snack

3-4 ounces
protein per meal
1-2 ounces
protein per snack

4. Consume an adequate amount of protein and calories throughout the
day!

Eat at least 1000 calories per day.
- Going on a crash diet will cause weight loss, but your
  metabolic rate and lean body mass will also decrease.
Eat Breakfast!
- Eating first thing in the morning helps kick your metabolism
  into gear.
Eating smaller more frequent meals.
- Eating throughout the day helps keep your metabolism
  running, allowing your body to burn calories more efficiently.

Apples to Apples

Fall Favorite: Pumpkin!