What is metabolism? How It Works and Relates to Weight Loss

What is metabolism? How It Works and Relates to Weight Loss
5 min read
26 December 2023

 You must have come across statements like, Eat spinach for iron or drink milk for more calcium.

But have you wondered how your body actually extracts these?

Food is one of your basic needs, and we cannot survive without it.

Then why is simply eating food not enough? Why do we spend so much time and energy curating our diet with a special emphasis on nutrients?

Apart from this, individuals with similar diets can have a slightly different weight.

 We know that food provides us with nutrition and energy. However, how precisely does that occur?

 All these questions can be answered by simply understanding the process called metabolism. 

 Semaglutide 5mg impacts the body's metabolic processes. When you eat, your body doesn't instantly derive energy or nourishment. Rather, it initiates metabolic activities to break down the meal into numerous smaller molecular fragments. This process, known as metabolism, comprises a series of reactions that facilitate the absorption of nutrients and the release of energy essential for bodily functions, where semaglutide 10 units might play a role.

The body either uses up these smaller molecules immediately to perform essential life-sustaining functions or stores them for later use.

metabolism supplies energy for essential bodily processes such as

 Breathing

 

Movement

 

Cell division

 

cell restoration

 

Balance of hormones

 

Control of temperature

 The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy required to do these tasks. This implies that the body burns calories even while it is at rest.

Exercise causes your body to burn more calories as you are increase the energy demand by using all the available enegry.

 How does metabolism work?

To put it simply, if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. However, it's not so simple; because our bodies' natural urge is to survive, they may interpret a decrease in calories as famine. To conserve calories, the survival instinct takes over at this point. To maintain itself, the body will begin to burn fewer calories. Even if you eat less food, this makes losing weight more difficult.

You may have heard of the terms "fast and slow metabolism." You also must have noticed that people who claim to have a fast metabolism are thinner, while people who claim to have a low metabolism are bulkier.

No, this simply has everything to do with their basal metabolic rate.

Now we already know that this basil metabolic rate is the calories burned at rest. Who designed that people with a faster metabolism eat more calories naturally as compared to people with a slow metabolism?


Your BMR is largely determined by your genetic composition and lifestyle, but it is still important for weight loss. Your metabolism will determine whether losing weight is easier or harder for you. 

Genes cannot be changed, nor can the way they impact you; nonetheless, there are a few factors that might affect it.

 Metabolism and weight loss

Losing weight fast can seem like a tempting and easier idea. However, it is equally harmful to you. Not only will it give you temporary results, but it also does more harm to your body than good.

Instead, focus on a sustainable diet and workout routine.

We assure you that while it may sound like a slower process, the results will last you a lifetime as it’s easier to be consistent with them.

Your basal metabolic rate is primarily determined by your genetic makeup, which remains relatively fixed and cannot be altered. However, it can be subtly influenced, and you can concentrate on your diet and exercise routines, impacting the calories you burn. Additionally, there's growing interest in the potential semaglutide anti ageing , suggesting its role in exploring longevity and mitigating age-related processes.

Here are some foods that can boost your metabolism:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Cacao
  • Ginger
  • Protein-rich foods e.g., seafood, meat
  • Mineral-rich foods
  • Green tea
  • Chili peppers
  • Beans
  • Water
  • Legumes
  • Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil



Exercises that will boost your metabolism

  • Walking
  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Aerobic exercises
  • Squat jumps
  • High-intensity interval workouts
  • Burpees
  • Resistance training



Apart from your diet and physical activity, your lifestyle plays a role in affecting your metabolism as well.

It was found that smokers usually have a higher metabolism due to nicotine consumption.

However, this might seem like a benefit for a moment, but let me assure you, it is definitely not worth the harmful effects that also come along with nicotine consumption.

 

People who partake in alcohol consumption were also found to have a lower metabolism, which caused a significant weight gain. Apart from this, aclocol has deleterious effects on your vital organs and can actually deteriorate the quality of your life.

 

If you lead a stressful lifestyle, chances are that your metabolism is slower because, when you put your body under stress, it releases a hormone called cortisol. This stress hormone can be responsible for decreasing your metabolism.

Adequate sleep is also imperative for normal metabolism regulation in our body.

 We hope that this article motivates you to know about the functioning of your body and pushes you to take into account the biochemistry of it and how it may affect your weight loss. Remember, how you feel internally will always be more important than the physical appearance of your body.

 



 

 

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Lubna Mobeen 22
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