| Increase
Metabolism to Lose Weight
by Roger LeBlanc
Metabolic Rate refers to the rate
one expends calories in a given period of time. Essentially,
it is the rate by which we expend energy through the
chemical breakdown of “burning calories“.
Not only do we spend calories during periods of work
and during exercise, we also burn calories at rest simply
to keep our cells alive. This is a vial point to understand!
What I am referring to is known as the “Basil“,
or resting, metabolic rate. In fact, you burn more during
your ‘resting hours’ than you do during
periods of exercise! For example, one hours worth of
tennis or basketball could burn about 600 or so calories.
One hour at rest may burn only 90 or so. But you might
only play one hours worth of tennis three or four times
a week, while your resting metabolic rate is what you
burn 24/7. It is easy to see that 90 times 24 times
7 is significantly greater than 600 times 4. (90 * 24
* 7 = 15120 vs. 600 * 4 = 2400). The point I am making
is not that exercise is useless, it is the importance
of the bazil metabolic rate in determining the caloric
balances within an individual.
Balance in caloric levels is the
whole point in weight control. The basic calculus is
simple: calories in / calories out. The amount of calories
consumed should approximate the number of calories burned
for a caloric balance in maintaining weight levels.
For weight loss calories in must be less than calories
expended. This is a very obvious, even simplistic point,
but you need to have a clear focus on that basic truth.
We simply have to reduce our intake (in a healthy way)
while we simultaneously increase our output. The reduction
of intake through a healthy diet is the subject of a
future article. This article focuses on the expenditure
of calories as a tool of weight control and weight loss.
The main weakness of many weight loss programs, even
the good ones, is that they do not stress the importance
of exercise. The main goal in weight loss ought to be
the improvement of one’s health and well-being;
not merely upon a more superficial look into the mirror!
In fact: you CANNOT be healthy without exercise!
A very powerful tool in regard to
weight loss is the manipulation of the resting or Basil
metabolic rate. This rate does vary between individuals
and even within a single individual from time to time.
Size and age are important factors, which account for
differences in metabolic rate between individuals. Another
very important factor in influencing resting metabolic
rate is the physical condition of the individual. Why
this is true is a little too technical to fully explain
here, but suffice to say that it has a lot to do with
how your body is able to efficiently utilize oxygen
in the chemical breakdown of sugar molecules in the
process we simply call “metabolism”. If
we can enhance the efficiency in which this oxygen is
utilized, we can thereby increase resting metabolic
rate. A different, and simpler way of looking at this
is in the understanding that the human body in its miraculous
design is amazingly adaptive. Push the body to habitually
utilize more oxygen, push the body to habituate to burning
energy at greater levels and the body will adapt to
do so. What this all adds up to is the ability to increase
the resting metabolic rate. This again is the rate which
we burn calories 24/7, 365 days a year. We burn calories
even at sleep. The idea is that even a small increase
in the hourly rate of caloric expenditure will add up
in time to real and permanent weight loss.
Of course, bearing in mind that
the increase in caloric expenditure cannot be offset
by an increase in intake. Calories consumed must be
less than calories expend in order to create a caloric
deficit that will translate to weight loss. The topic
of exactly how to diet in a healthy way will be dealt
with at length in a future article (I hope you will
look for it). For now just understand that you actually
need to create an imbalance of calories: calories in
< calories out.
Resting Metabolic Rate can be increased,
and such an increase when coupled with healthy dieting
will lead to a healthy weight loss. Because it includes
exercise as a necessary component, such a method will
be among the Healthiest plans you will ever come across!
The way to increase resting metabolic
rate, very simply stated is though aerobic conditioning.
This is of course the same as what some people refer
to as Cardio exercise. You should exercise at a sufficient
intensity to reach about 80% or your “maximum
heart rate“. Don’t let this term scare you!
To find maximum heart rate, take your age - 220 = “Maximum
Heart Rate”. Now find 80% of your Maximum. This
becomes your “Target Heart Rate”
A NOTE OF CAUTION: If you are very
overweight or over forty, use a healthy dose of common
sense. Please don’t kill yourself!!!! If you are
much older, you might consult a doctor before beginning
a strenuous program. Even if you are younger and in
fair shape, gradually work up to this over a few weeks
time. At least in the first few weeks, don’t push
too hard! This program will SURELY work if you follow
it correctly, but please don’t go overboard and
kill yourself trying to drop a few pounds! The #1 goal
should always be good health. This is well above that
of looking good in a mirror! Actually, when you take
good care of yourself, through good exercise, proper
diet and other healthy habits; everything should fall
into place. You will be healthy, feel more energetic,
look better, sexier, think clearer, and have a better
sex life - the subject of a future article!
For the first week or two slowly
condition yourself to program. Begin with a five-minute
warm-up of simple walking. Then build to a heart rate
of about 60%. If you opt for playing sports rather than
running on a treadmill in a gym, just try to go a moderate
pace to gradually condition yourself to where you want
to be. When you are at the point where you can exercise
to the full, then you still should begin with a warm-up
of about 5 minutes. Some pre-exercise stretches can
both help to warm the muscles up and prevent injury.
After a five-minute warm-up, get your heart rate up
to your target rate; hold it in that range for 20 to
30 minutes. Begin at lower levels and build over several
weeks toward the 60-minute range, Do this initially
at three times a week. Build to four. Then to five if
your schedule allows. I do understand that many people
have busy schedules but you must at least find time
for three to four sessions if you want to gain the benefits
of the program.
Over the period of several weeks
you will find your energy and stamina improving dramatically.
Remember, energy = the burning of calories. Therefore,
if you are more energetic throughout the day, as you
certainly will be, then just as certainly it means that
your metabolic rate has been increased. This can be
a very powerful tool in weight control! Again, watch
the caloric intake as well! Eat healthy, but keep the
calories down. Before long you will notice the benefits
on the bathroom scale! Weight will come down as body
fat is reduced. More importantly, your general state
of health and well-being will be significantly enhanced!
You’ll have more energy than you have experienced
for years, and will even experience a sharper mental
focus as well.
I truly hope that this article will
influence your life for the better. I do know what I
am talking about; however, I have no claim to absolute
knowledge. Certainly there can be informed disagreement
with some of the points I have expressed and the more
knowledgeable among you may feel that I have only scratched
the surface. Fine! There is a wealth of information
on the web and elsewhere on the subject of health and
fitness and I do hope that you continue to seek out
that knowledge and understanding. This holds true whether
you choose to obtain it from me or another source. But
if you have enjoyed this article, and especially if
you try this program and gets result from it, please
consider visiting my Website for more health related
e-books. I thank you for your attention and trust that
your health and well-being will grow from this day forward!
Written by Roger LeBlanc,
all rights reserved you are free to redistribute this
article provided you do not alter the article in any
way.
Please visit my websites for more
info products at http://www.digitalhealthproducts.com.
Also at http://www.rogershealthblog.com.
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