As part of any fat loss program it is important that your protect your metabolic rate?
What’s is this?
The metabolic rate is simply defined as the rate at which your body burns calories. If you have a high MR then you are going to need more calories to preserve yourself at your current rate. A slow MR will mean that you do not need that many calories to preserve your current weight.
The advantage of a higher MR over a low one is the ability to lose weight and fat tissue. I think a lot of people will understand a high metabolism allows you to burn more energy and in doing so lose weight successfully without over cutting food intake and pretty much starving yourself.
That is why you could actually be heavier than another person but actually need less calories consumed to maintain a weight because your MR is not as fast.
Not my main focus of this topic but an interesting point nonetheless if being overweight makes you think automatically that you need more food.
So what factors influence your metabolic rate and increase your chances of fat loss?
The amount of muscle that you have is accountable for a higher MR as this is the “energy tissue”. Whether you are a regular person or bodybuilder muscle tissue is what keeps you going so the more of it you have the more energy you need.
Think of yourself like a car. The bigger engine of the Hummer and the solid build it has means it guzzles a tank pulling out of the drive.
But the more economical Smart car can use the same amount of fuel (energy) to drive across the US probably.
In physique terms very few of us want to be bodybuilders but we do want to be able to use more energy and consequently have a higher MR and can do so by creating a more solid framework (notice that I don’t say heavier) that holds either more muscle tissue or a good proportion of muscle tissue in relation to your total weight.
In exercise, that is why it is so important to use the muscle tissue and at least maintain it and in some cases even build on it slightly to create a fat burning machine that builds a killer body.
How do you do this?
Not by performing loads of aerobic type exercise like walking, jogging and aerobic classes.
These can help you lose weight but in the process do not use the muscle tissue enough for many resulting in loss of muscle tissue and a slower MR. So while you have lost weight and need fewer calories accordingly, the loss of muscle tissue means that you need even fewer calories than the weight lost dictates.
That is what then makes it so hard to continue losing weight when your MR gets too slow and becomes inefficient and burning energy. You now become the car that won’t go anywhere, bit like my old Ford after giving it no oil!
This can result in weight being put back on because your MR has dropped lower than it should, the exercise is failing to have an effect and you can’t reduce your calorie intake for the rest of your life.
Not a result you want after a few weeks and months of sacrifice and hard work.
While even fat loss will mean that your MR decreases over the long term, offset it by using the muscle tissue more in intense resistance exercise and anaerobic cardio conditioning and protect the muscle tissue you have.
After all, whenever anyone talks about getting a toned shape, it is the muscle tissue that provides it so why would you want to lose it? Remember that it is possible to be the recommended weight for your height but not be in the shape you want. That’s when you have too little muscle tissue and too much fat tissue.
Changing it around doesn’t mean you will grow big arms and shoulders. You probably couldn’t if you tried unless you ate like a bodybuilder and had testosterone flowing through your body.
Laters
Mike
