Metabolism and Weight

               Metabolism by definition is the process of converting the food and liquids we drink into energy.This energy is required by the body to perform hidden important functions such as breathing, adjusting hormone levels,blood circulation etc., The energy required by the body at rest to perform these crucial bodily functions is called Basal Metabolic rate. 70% of our body’s calorific requirement is because of basal metabolic rate. Basal Metabolic rate is dependent on your body composition, your age and your sex.The remaining requirement is because of physical activity undertaken such as exercise, walking, household chores etc., and food processing i.e., digesting, absorbing and transporting the food you eat.

          When there is energy deficit i.e., more number of calories needed by the body but fewer calories being consumed it results in weight loss(body burns the stored fat to meet body’s needs) and when we consume more number of calories while our body needs fewer calories then we gain weight.

        However, weight gain or loss are a complex phenomenon and are dependent on various factors which creates an imbalance in the energy equation. Weight gain is likely to be dependent on genetic make up, hormonal controls, body composition, impact of environment on your lifestyle and stress.

         Most nutritionists and doctors are of the opinion that in order to have a more lasting impact on weight as well as better physical health it is important to maintain a good sleep hygiene, control emotional and mental stress, drink 8-12 glasses of water everyday, work towards enhancing basal metabolic rate by working on your body composition i.e., working towards having less fat and more muscle and more vitamins and minerals. Secondly working towards increasing other calorific needs of the body by increasing physical activity i.e., exercise and the energy required to digest food by eating complex carbohydrates which while giving same amount of energy take longer to digest and more energy to digest. Hormonal controls is another important factor which also plays a role however hormonal balance can be achieved only by increasing body’s energy requirements and losing weight. In a way it is a big cycle. 

        Over the course of next few blogs I will talk about each of these factors, body’s energy requirements , various food types and various kinds of diets out there.