Understanding Metabolism Will Help You Manage Your Weight

Your metabolic rate measures the rate at which your body is using up energy (as measured in calories). It varies throughout the day and throughout your life, depending on your level of activity and other factors. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) describes the rate at which your body uses energy when relaxed.

The following influence basal metabolic rate:

Age:

BMR gradually decreases with age due to inactivity and lower muscle mass.

Sex:

The BMR is generally a little lower in women than in men.

Sleep:

Inadequate sleep over time decreases BMR.

Exercise:

Regular daily exercise increases BMR.

Nourishment:

Prolonged undernourishment decreases BMR.

Thyroid hormone:

Poor thyroid functioning decreases BMR.

Stress Levels:

High stress levels reduce your BMR.

Dehydration:

Inadequate water intake decreases your BMR.

Body fat percentage:

A high body fat percent decreases your BMR; a low body fat percent increases it.

Your BMR slows down when you don’t eat enough calories on a day-to-day basis to sustain life properly. This is why starvation diets seem to work to lose weight, but because they slow your BMR, you’ll gain body fat. An increase in body fat makes it harder to sustain any weight you may have lost. That’s one of the reasons why a person gains back the weight and more when they return to eating normally.

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