Protein Calculator: How much do you need to reach your goals?
How much protein should you eat every day to support your weight goals? Read why protein is important—and use our calculator to find out how much you need.
Supercharge your metabolism! Boost your calorie-burning power and lose weight! You’ve seen all sorts of headlines like these, right? Yeah, us too. We’re here to break down the science about what you can and can’t control about your metabolism and how it could impact your weight care journey.
Supercharge your metabolism! Boost your calorie-burning power and lose weight! You’ve seen all sorts of headlines like these, right? Yeah, us too. We’re here to break down the science about what you can and can’t control about your metabolism and how it could impact your weight care journey.
Here’s a little 101 for you: A lot of us think that metabolism is just related to weight. If you burn calories more slowly, you’re apt to be heavier, and vice versa. But that’s not exactly how it works. Metabolism is made up of a series of chemical reactions that happen in the body. They allow your brain and muscles to function properly, help you breathe, and digest food and turn it into energy. And they determine the total amount of energy you expend (in other words, the number of calories you burn) each day.
Metabolism can be broken down into three categories:
1. Activity energy expenditure
This is just what it sounds like—how much energy you use to do daily activities. It includes exercise like yoga, cycling, swimming, and daily activities like washing dishes, folding laundry, or lugging your groceries into the kitchen. (Whether you're a make-it-in-one trip person who piles 50 bags on your arms or you like to make multiple trips.)
2. Thermic effect of food
Believe it or not, it takes energy to chew, digest, and absorb the food you eat. And that’s what the thermic effect of food is—the number of calories it takes to do this process multiple times a day.
3. Basic metabolic rate (BMR)
This is the total number of calories your body burns, even when you’re just sitting on the couch scrolling through the gram. Think about a parked car that has its engine on. The car will still use fuel even though it’s idle. It’s the same with your body. Your BMR energy burn comes from bodily processes like circulating blood, secreting hormones, and breathing.
Contrary to what you may have heard, research shows that excess weight is not due to a slow metabolism. In fact, people with obesity tend to burn more calories at rest and throughout the day than those with lower BMIs, because larger bodies require more energy 24/7. (We know, we know—surprising but true.) Your gender, race, hormones, diet, fitness level, and body composition also influence your metabolism. But the most significant factor influencing your metabolism is your genetics—which you have no control over.
Short answer: Not really. But stay with us here. Even though supercharging your metabolism may not be entirely possible, studies show that there are ways to at least give it a bump. And what’s arguably more important is to maintain your current metabolic health. Take a look:
One last point: Regardless of how fast or slow your metabolism is, research shows that it’s not the strongest predictor of your ability to lose weight. Eating a balanced diet, being more active, and taking weight loss medication if it’s right for you are the most significant contributors to weight loss success and maintenance.
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