6 Facts About Metabolism
How common misunderstandings about metabolism undermine our health and fitness goals
Oftentimes when we think about our metabolism, we think it’s this thing that we can change by doing things like eating the “right food,” mixing powders into our drinks, and working out more. That’s because we live in a diet culture that is constantly trying to sell us quick and convenient “solutions” for weight loss instead of promoting healthy habits. Unfortunately, many of these quick-fix weight loss strategies can actually make it harder to lose weight over time and come with unhealthy side effects like constipation, bad breath, and hair loss.
Here are 6 facts to help clear up some misunderstandings about our metabolism so that we can start making more better decisions about our health.
1. Metabolism doesn’t have an on/off switch.
Think of your metabolism as a series of chemical processes that occur in the body to convert calories into energy. A majority of our metabolic processes is driven by the energy the body uses while at rest. You can read more about this process in this article. Basically, this means that our metabolism is always “on,” no matter what we do. Our metabolism doesn’t magically turn on when we exercise or eat a particular thing and it doesn’t turn off when we stop.
2. Metabolism can vary a lot between people.
Most of us know someone who can eat whatever they want and they don’t gain a single pound. Scientists can’t fully explain why that is but one thing is for certain, different people have different metabolic rates based on their age, genetics, and body composition. This means that one person’s method for losing weight may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for someone else. If you’re trying to lose weight, you may have to try a lot of different things to figure out what works for you specifically. Don’t get discouraged when you try something that worked for your friend but had no effect on you.
3. Cardio workouts have a small effect on metabolism.
Treadmills, spin bikes, and ellipticals may burn a lot of calories, but the impact on our metabolism is small and short-lived. That doesn’t mean you should skip the cardio workout. It’s just that when it comes to our metabolism, it’s important to include workouts that build lean muscle. Muscles require a lot of energy to maintain, which means that they use energy even while our body is completely at rest.
Keep in mind though, if you try to build a lot of muscle mass in a short amount of time, you’ll have to resist the strong urge to eat more. Our body prefers gradual and balanced changes. If we start exercising or dieting to the extremes, the body will go into preservation mode because these changes can shock the system. Shifting our mindset to focus on health rather weight is a more practical approach to starting and maintaining a workout routine that’s actually sustainable.
4. Extreme weight loss can eventually lead to weight gain.
Have you ever watched the show “The Biggest Loser”? If not, it’s a show where contestants compete to lose the most weight over 30 weeks. Researchers followed up with the 2009 contestants six years later and found that 13 out of 14 actually re-gained nearly all of their original weight and four contestants were heavier than when they went on the show. Part of the reason has to do with age, but the researchers also found that the contestants’ metabolic rate had dramatically slowed down to the point where they were basically burning 500 fewer calories than someone who is the exact same weight and size. In other words, extreme weight loss can result in the opposite intended effect — more weight.
5. You can still lose weight with a slower metabolism.
Just because you have a slower metabolism doesn’t mean that everything you do is useless. Plenty of people still manage to lose weight as their metabolisms slow down as they age and as their body composition change. It just requires unlearning the toxic messages of diet culture and making small changes that can have a big impact on our health.
6. Some advice about speeding up metabolism is true.
This article isn’t meant to discourage you from learning more about ways to improve your health. Some of the advice out there about speeding up our metabolic rate is actually backed by research. For example, it’s true that we burn more calories when we’re cold, which means that we can speed up our metabolic rate by turning down the heat or taking a cold shower.
Just remember that tips like these have a small and temporary effect on our metabolic rate, which means it’s not an effective approach for weight loss.
The bottom line
There isn’t a magical, convenient solution for weight loss. If we want to see lasting changes to our waistlines, we need to be willing to change our lifestyle. Lifestyle changes can sound intimidating, but these changes don’t have to happen all at once. We can make these changes gradually until they begin to feel natural and like a reflex. That’s what it means to build healthy, lifelong, habits.
