Metabolism

March 9, 2005

Note: forwarded message attached.

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Metabolism - An Unscientific Approach

Many people are unsure about how exactly metabolism works and what does it have to do with weight loss, weight gain, or even maintenance. The process of metabolism is actually a lot more intricate and complex than what is going to be described here. Basically, your body must go through many chains of chemical reactions in order to keep it functioning optimally everyday. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines metabolism as the series of chemical changes which take place in an organism, by means of which food is manufactured and utilized and waste materials are eliminated. In laymen's terms metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories in order to sustain life. So how does this pertain to you and what exactly are calories? Understand that your body is like a hefty manufacturing plant. It assembles and disassembles millions of compounds and

molecules everyday. However, everyone's "plant" exerts at different rates. For this "plant" to function properly, it requires energy. Just like a car needs gasoline to make it run, so do our bodies (well, not gasoline, but you know what I mean). This is described to be our metabolic rate. Whether you are sitting in your office, eating, walking, watching television, and even sleeping, your body is consuming energy in order to keep it alive. A calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. In essence calories are in fact energy. So why do we exercise? Cardiovascular Fitness You talk to many people in the gym and the majority of them tell you that if you want to lose weight, you need to run or do some sort of cardio. Why do they tell you this and how does it help you? First off, how do you ultimately gain weight? To put it quite simply, this is a calorie in versus calorie out issue. What I mean is that if

you are consuming more calories than what you are expending in a day, you are in a state of positive caloric balance. For example, Joe consumes an average of 2500 calories a day. Joe's metabolism burns off only 2000 calories a day. This means that Joe's positive caloric intake is approximately 500 calories a day. At this rate, Joe will gain about one pound of fat in seven days (1 lb of fat equals approximately 3500 calories). A cardio exercise program will help Joe burn anywhere between 200-400 calories depending on Joe's intensity and body mass. This will help Joe's metabolic rate by increasing his daily expenditure to 2200-2400 calories a day. Note: Joe is still in a state of positive caloric balance so if Joe were to keep this rate up, Joe will now gain 1 lb of fat anywhere from 12 to 35 days. Although this is much better than gaining a pound per week, there are more ways to help Joe's metabolic rate.

Image agove: Energy balance is when energy intake = energy expenditure (No weight loss or gain).Image agove: This image describes negative energy balance. Energy expenditure > energy intake (weight loss occurs in this state)Image agove: Positive energy balance is when energy intake is greater than energy expenditure. This image depicts the body in positive energy balance (Weight gain). Strength/Resistance Training Conditioning the muscles in your body is another great way to increase overall energy expenditure. Although a bout of resistance or strength training does not burn as many calories as aerobic activity may, it has a much more lasting effect. As your muscles become stronger and more effective, your body needs more energy for upkeep. Muscles are, in a way, like power plants. Just like power plants today require energy to function by using hydroelectricity, coal, or nuclear power, our bodies require the use of carbohydrates. The larger power plants (i.e. quadriceps, hamstrings, etc.) produce more force and require more energy. The stronger these "power plants" get, the more energy they can efficiently consume. Larger muscles will

require more energy to function (just like larger engine blocks in cars consume more gas and give you more horsepower). So now when you are walking, working, eating, watching television, and even sleeping, you are using more energy to keep these stronger, more efficient muscles working properly. When there is no demand for power, these "power plants" become downsized. This is because the body does not want to spend resources on unproductive "power plants." Joe has now taken up some free personal training provided by the KSC fitness center to help structure a strength training program. The body is now taking the time to adapt and enhances the strength of Joe's muscle fibers. After a few months of training, Joe is now able to regularly burn 2300 calories a day and combined with his previous cardio program, Joe is expending 2500-2700 calories a day. Joe has now moved from a positive caloric balance to a neutral balance and possibly a negative caloric balance. This means that

Joe will either maintain weight or lose weight at a rate of 1 lb every 2-3 weeks. As Joe gets stronger, his muscles will become even more efficient at burning calories. Note: Your body wants nothing better than to be at a state of rest. If you stop strength training, your body will realize that it does not need to waste energy on maintaining your musculature so it will begin to break it down (called the Principle of Regression). So what other way can we help Joe's metabolic rate? You might have guessed it by now. Dieting What we want to do is help Joe cut out some unimportant food products that is not needed. For example, Joe has now stopped drinking soda (120-160 calories per 12 oz) and is consuming more water (0 calories per any amount). Whenever he gets the need, he'll drink a diet soda (0-1 calorie per 12 oz). He now gets lighter versions of cheese, dressings, bread, and many other foods. This change has caused Joe's caloric intake to be approximately 2000

calories a day. Joe is consuming 2000 calories a day and expending anywhere between 2500-2700 calories a day with his newly found exercise routine causing a negative caloric balance of 500-700 calories a day. At this rate Joe is losing 1 lb of fat every 5-7 days. Joe's optimal health is allowing him to lose 1-2 lbs per week. This is estimated by the American Heart Association to be the best and healthiest rate of weight loss. Cardio versus Strength/Resistance Training As you have read, Joe was able to take advantage of both forms of exercise which ultimately improved his health in all aspects. The pro's of cardio training is that it prevents cardiovascular disease, improves blood pressure, and taxes your body's caloric intake (gives you a healthy heart). Strength training improves muscle efficiency, prevents osteoporosis, increases joint stability, and puts a lean on your caloric intake by burning calories while you are at rest. Also both forms provide an

overall sense of wellness, decreases stress, and just make you feel good and wholesome inside. You can see where the strength lies in both forms of training and it is best to incorporate them both just as Joe's personal trainer did for him. So, are you currently exercising but you don't see any results within months? The problem may rely within your diet. Keeping your body in a negative caloric balance is the key to a healthy weight loss. In addition, if you want to gain weight, the key would be in keeping your body in a state of positive caloric balance. Inspect your diet to see where your problems may lie. Are you counting carbs? Should you? The next topic will follow up this article on Carbohydrates and what role do they play in your body. Mark VelazquezNational Academy of Sports Medicine CPT __________________________________________________

April 12, 2006

I have had a struggle with this since my youngest memories.

I am 51 now.

I have researched it alot and tried many tips;

-daily psyllium husks (metamucil)

-daily oat bran

-daily wheat bran

-water,water,water, water, water, water

-daily dry prunes

-daily exercise

-daily calcium

-daily magnesium

-look for food allergies

The " problem " continued year after year, month after month.

Though, ALL of the above are very important and I continue to keep up

with most of them, BFL emphasises them too.

But for me, the answer, the missing link, has been to set 3 prunes

into a cup of water each morning. (I put that glass on the top shelf

of my cupboard) The next morning, I eat those 3 and soak the next 3

for the follow day.

HOORAY!!!! PROBLEM SOLVED

Yes, I do the BFL daily gallon of water, BFL HITT, and eat plenty of

natural fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, etc.)

Be aware that constipation can be the first sign of MAJOR health

problems like diabetes and prolapsed internal organs. It is worth our

time to seek the solution that works for us. I wish I had been more

informed at an earlier age

I hope someone else can avoid my years of didscomfort.

Best wishes,

M.

April 12, 2006

I have had a struggle with this since my youngest memories.

I am 51 now.

I have researched it alot and tried many tips;

-daily psyllium husks (metamucil)

-daily oat bran

-daily wheat bran

-water,water,water, water, water, water

-daily dry prunes

-daily exercise

-daily calcium

-daily magnesium

-look for food allergies

The " problem " continued year after year, month after month.

Though, ALL of the above are very important and I continue to keep up

with most of them, BFL emphasises them too.

But for me, the answer, the missing link, has been to set 3 prunes

into a cup of water each morning. (I put that glass on the top shelf

of my cupboard) The next morning, I eat those 3 and soak the next 3

for the follow day.

HOORAY!!!! PROBLEM SOLVED

Yes, I do the BFL daily gallon of water, BFL HITT, and eat plenty of

natural fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, etc.)

Be aware that constipation can be the first sign of MAJOR health

problems like diabetes and prolapsed internal organs. It is worth our

time to seek the solution that works for us. I wish I had been more

informed at an earlier age

I hope someone else can avoid my years of didscomfort.

Best wishes,

M.

April 12, 2006

Thanks for sharing that, . I am 29 and recently been told my my doctor

that I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) which makes total sense to me. The

doctor said there really isnt anything I can do about it meds wise because its

not a severe case (feels severe to me!) So she suggessted that I eat healthy and

more veggies. I laughed and told her about what I eat now. So she suggested that

I take over the counter fiber supplements. I started taking them a week ago, the

chewable tabs. But I find that although they eleviate the cramping, I am now

feeling bloated. Ill have to give some of your ideas a go. I also have tried

flax seeds with not too much success. Something will work. Ill just keep trying!

April 12, 2006