How does your basal metabolic rate figure into your weight gain? Your metabolic rate and your nutrition are the biggest determining factors in whether you will gain or lose weight. You can increase your metabolic rate with proper training and nutrition. Here is a question asked by a client:
Client Q: What is my basal metabolic rate (BMR) and how does it relate to fat loss and weight loss?
Mark's A: Your BMR is the amount of daily calories your body needs to maintain itself. Said another way, it is the amount of calories your body would burn if you did nothing all day. Not everyone burns calories at the same rate. Some factors that influence the speed of your metabolism are:
1) Your age. Your metabolism may slow down about 5% per decade if you are sedentary.
2) Gender. Men generally burn more calories at rest than women.
3) Your proportion of lean muscle mass to fat mass. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be.
4) Heredity also plays a part in your body's rate of metabolism.
5) Thyroid problems may also cause your metabolism to slow down.
Fortunately, muscle mass can be maintained/increased (and body fat decreased) throughout your life through weight training. Weight training also helps to keep your bones strong ( preventing osteoporosis ).
My BMR is approximately 2000 calories, so if I consume 2000 daily calories I will burn fat and lose weight. This happens through exercise and daily activities which would allow me to maintain a caloric deficit. Remember, a caloric surplus (consuming more calories than you burn) causes you to gain fat and weight.
One surprising thing about metabolism is this: the more you weigh, the…
