Metabolism
Now you will have your own reasons for having an interest in Pilates, Yoga or for doing any physical exercise. A lot of people want to lose weight, some more than others, and you probably know that Pilates and Yoga will help you in this regard. You might also know that your metabolism is linked to your weight.
But do you know how?
Common belief holds that a slim person’s metabolism is high and an overweight person’s metabolism is low. But this isn’t usually the case. Metabolism alone doesn’t determine your weight.
Rather, weight is dependent on the balance of calories consumed versus calories burned. Take in more calories than your body needs, and you gain weight. Take in less and you lose weight. Metabolism, then, is the engine that burns these calories and is the scale that regulates your energy needs.
Stated simply, metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy. During this biochemical process, calories — from carbohydrates, fats and proteins — are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.
The number of calories your body burns each day is called your total energy expenditure. The following three factors make up your total energy expenditure:
• Basic needs. Even when your body is at rest, it requires energy for the basics, such as fuel for organs, breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, plus growing and repairing cells. Calories expended to cover these basic functions are your basal metabolic rate.
Typically, a person’s basal metabolic rate is the largest portion of energy use, representing two-thirds to three-quarters of the calories used each day. Energy needs for these basic functions stay fairly consistent and aren’t easily changed.
• Food processing. Digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing the food you consume also takes calories. This accounts for about 10 percent of the calories used each day. For the most part, your body’s energy requirement to process food stays relatively steady and isn’t easily changed.
• Physical activity. Physical activity — such as doing Pilates, Yoga, Gym exercises, walking, chasing after the dog or the kids, housework and any other movement — accounts for the remainder of calories used. You control the number of calories burned depending on the frequency, duration and intensity of your activities.
It may seem logical to think that significant weight gain or being overweight is related to a low metabolism or possibly even a condition such as under-active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). In reality, it’s very uncommon for excess weight to be related to a low metabolism. And most people who are overweight don’t have an underlying condition, such as hypothyroidism.
However, a medical evaluation can determine whether a medical condition could be influencing your weight. Weight gain is more likely due to an energy imbalance — consuming more calories than your body burns. To lose weight, then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or preferably both.
If you and everyone else were physically and functionally identical, it would be easy to determine the standard energy needs. But many factors influence calorie requirements, including body size and composition, age, and gender.
To function properly, a bigger body mass requires more energy (more calories) than does a smaller body mass. Also, muscle burns more calories than fat does. So the more muscle you have in relation to fat, the higher your basal metabolic rate.
As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight. Metabolism also slows naturally with age. Together these changes reduce your calorie needs. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight. This is why men generally have a higher basal metabolic rate and burn more calories than women do.
Your ability to change your basal metabolism is limited. However, you can increase daily exercise and activity to build muscle tissue and burn more calories.
Your metabolism influences your energy needs, but it’s your food intake and physical activity that ultimately determine your weight. Getting fit and lean, like any task you undertake, requires that you have dedication and motivation to succeed. This means you need to get your head in the right place.
When you have all the tools you need, you can become an excellent performer in almost anything you try in life. One of these tools is the right frame of mind. The right frame of mind will give you motivation, commitment, and the skills you need to overcome the obstacles that you might face along with temptations and distractions.
Think this sounds a little too “new age” for you? Think again! When you have the right psychology during your fitness journey, you will make your workouts fun, easier, more exciting, and be able to develop changes towards a healthier lifestyle that will stay with you forever.
Your mindset controls your behaviour, actions, and thoughts. As people grow, they develop habits and associations that govern their life. Most of these habits are controlled by our sub-conscious and we are generally unaware of them. However, your subconscious could also sabotage your efforts – also while you unaware of them. This can be detrimental to your healthy lifestyle attempts.
The right mindset entails using various techniques and strategies to control your behaviour by monitoring your thoughts and actions. When you obtain this mindset, you will be better equipped to replace the old habits and associations that formed your thinking in the first place with new and more positive habits that will enable you to get fit and be happier while you do so!
Developing the correct mindset doesn’t occur overnight. It will take a little bit of effort, but in the end, it is well worth the time you’ll spend doing so. You will have to regularly monitor your progress and behaviour.
Sometimes it will be easy, like when you first start any new activity and have great motivation – at other times, it won’t. The good news is that there are some easy ways to begin to put yourself into the right mindset.
Write your goals down – tell yourself what fitness level you want to get to. While you’re at it, write down any other personal goals you might have as far as your life in general. Since you’re undertaking something as important as a healthier lifestyle, you may as well also focus your efforts on improving other aspects of your life while you have the motivation and drive.
1. Be specific about what those goals are. When you are non specific about your goals, you are trivializing them. Your goals ARE IMPORTANT. Make them important! Treat them as important.
2. Assign yourself a deadline. You want to feel fitter. You want to do it by Christmas, or your wedding, or the spring or your next holiday. When you assign a deadline, you give yourself a goal to work for, and like I said your goals ARE IMPORTANT!
3. Make those goals measurable and achievable. Don’t think TOO big or try to undertake more than what you are capable of. In weight loss for example if you need to lose 100 pounds, don’t expect to do it in a few weeks. Give yourself enough time to do so in a healthy manner. You could also try to break the goals down into easier increments. Tell yourself that you will lose 10 pounds over the next month. Then tell yourself the same thing the next month.
4. Likewise with getting fitter. If you can manage just a 20 minute walk per day tell yourself that by this time next week you want to be able to walk for 30 minutes.
5. Eventually, you’ll reach that goal and feel the satisfaction of being lighter or fitter than you were before.
6. Focus on those goals everyday. Post them on your refrigerator. Write them in your diary. Put a reminder on the seat of your car. When you focus on your goals, you will keep them in mind all the time and when they are first and foremost in your mind, you will be well on the way toward achieving them.
7. Be committed to those goals – at all costs. There’s a reason why you want to achieve those goals. When you are committed, those goals become the focus of your mind and they will be much easier to realise.
The battle with our metabolism as we age can’t be denied. Our metabolism, which transforms our food into energy, slows down with each passing year. If you don’t adjust your eating habits and your exercise to compensate, you will add additional pounds and feel lethargic. We may feel betrayed, but the reality is we’re going to have to change some habits in order to get fitter.
If you take things one step at a time, there are basic steps that can be adopted. Stop telling yourself, “I just can’t do it.” You can coax yourself into a new habit of healthy living.
Developing a psychology towards fitness will help you achieve you goals and realise success. Aim high, push yourself to become the type of person you want to be and live the life that you want and deserve. We are not given the power of dreams without the power and ability to achieve those dreams. It’s time to start – RIGHT NOW!
