Through metabolic processes, living organisms are able to convert food into the energy needed to sustain life. We are trying to speed up the metabolism in order to melt away the hated body fat, and we call a slow metabolism one of the main reasons for weight gain. At the same time, following the rules, the observance of which must certainly normalize the metabolic processes in the body, we are not always able to distinguish scientific facts from misconceptions. Therefore, estet-portal.com decided to highlight the most common myths about metabolism and explain how things really are with metabolism.
Myths about metabolism that prevent you from losing weight
The body of scientific knowledge about metabolism is constantly growing, and many specialists around the world are working tirelessly to solve the problem of unwanted weight. Despite this, there are a number of myths about metabolism that it is time to stop believing in.
Myth #1: Thin people have a faster metabolism
Perhaps every person has at least one acquaintance who can eat enough and not get better at all. We look at such people with envy and are accustomed to attribute their luck to an accelerated metabolism. Metabolism is related to body size, but not quite in the way we used to think. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff of the University of Ottawa states, "Thin people almost always have a relatively low resting metabolic rate, meaning they burn fewer calories while resting than fat people."
The more muscle mass, the faster the metabolism.
However, the acceleration of metabolism depends not just on the weight of a person, but on the muscle mass of the body, since the greatest amount of energy is spent on the work of the muscles. If two people of the same weight are compared, the person with more muscle mass will have a faster metabolism. This explains the important role of strength training in speeding up the metabolism, since ever-increasing muscle mass burns calories faster than diet alone.
Read also: Metabolic flexibility: make your body burn fat
Myth #2: Missed a meal – slowed down metabolism
Have you heard that frequent snacks throughout the day help you lose weight? For some people, this is true, but to speed up the metabolism with frequent snacks – tactics are ineffective. Dr. Friedhof explains:
"The three-to-four-hour meal plan is quite popular because it avoids the constant feeling of hunger, which means more precise control of portion sizes and refraining from unhealthy goodies."
If a person is constantly craving unhealthy foods, frequent healthy snacking can help overcome cravings. However, for the rest, the quantity and quality of food consumed are more significant. Friedhov is convinced that whether you eat 2,000 calories (say, in the form of rice) in one sitting or spread the pleasure over the whole day, the effect (in terms of metabolism) will be the same. It is better to learn how to use high-quality and healthy products with such a frequency that is convenient for you.
Myth #3: Everything eaten late at night is stored as fat
Actually, not all of them. A number of factors affect what happens to the food you eat after 6pm/one hour before bedtime/late evening: different hormones, food quality, food content and energy expenditure affect how you store " ;fuel» in our body. Therefore, unfortunately, the refusal of a late meal in itself will not stop the process of deposition of fat. If you choose foods and pour in a portion of a reasonable size, your figure will not suffer.
Myth #4: Metabolism – it's purely calorie burning and food breakdown
Many people equate the concept of metabolism and the rate of burning calories. However, despite the fact that the process of splitting chemical bonds in order to release energy (catabolism) – a very important component of metabolism, do not forget about anabolism. It is in the process of anabolism that energy is stored for further use, including carbohydrates and fats. Therefore, the normal function of metabolism – it is a balance of catabolism and anabolism.
Optimum Metabolism – it is a balance of catabolism and anabolism.
Myth #5: Your metabolism is out of your control
When faced with the problem of unwanted weight, many blame their metabolism. This is another myth about metabolism, because we can adjust the metabolism so that more calories are burned:
- increase muscle mass (strength training);
- get enough sleep;
- completely abandon sugary drinks in favor of water;
- drink coffee (but in moderation, natural and without additives);
- Eat protein (not protein alone, of course, but it should be enough in the diet).
Every day more and more research confirms the benefits of regular physical activity and a healthy diet for optimizing metabolism. Estet-portal.com hopes that the myths about metabolism will no longer mislead you and will not prevent you from keeping yourself in great shape!
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