11 Nov Metabolism: We All Have One
“I have a slow metabolism.” Metabolism is often blamed for the excess weight we carry, but is it really the culprit? Metabolism is a complex network used by our body to convert food into fuel and also affects how efficiently we burn that fuel. The following is a quote from a fellow CrossFit trainer and I feel it sums up metabolism pretty well: “We all have one. That is as much as needs to be discussed. Yes, some people have “fast” metabolisms and some people have “slow” ones. It’s far less likely that you were cursed with a horribly slow one, than it is that you are eating improperly and entirely too much. Get your thyroid checked if you insist, but I’d rather you kept a food journal and we checked that together instead. Quit using the mythical metabolism as an excuse and do what needs to be done to care for your unique body – slow, fast, or otherwise. Stop making yourself a victim and start loving what you got.” –Becca Borawski. Although everyone has a different metabolic rate and some factors cannot be changed like age and gender, there are ways to maximize the metabolic rate you were born with. Exercise is one way to increase metabolism. Aerobic exercise increases metabolism in the short-term while strength training increases metabolism for the long-term. Also, the greater muscle mass you have the more calories your body will burn even at rest because muscle tissue requires more calories that fat tissue. This is a reason individuals who are beginning to lose weight should not be afraid to do strength training. Another way to rev up the metabolism is by eating small meals throughout the day. This is symbolic to keeping a fire going by frequently putting kindling on there instead of letting the fire burn down and occasionally throwing big logs on the fire causing it to flame up then burn down. The thought of minimal or no eating will lead to weight loss is absolutely untrue as well as very unhealthy. When you go without food your body goes into “store mode” instead of “burn mode.” In Cory Lee terms: if you go long hours in between meals your body says, “I don’t know when I’m going to get fed again so I’m going to hang onto these calories instead of burning them.”
We are very excited about be able to provide the community with options for health, fitness, nutrition, and rehabilitation. It’s only because of the support of the community that we are able to offer our services. We hope to open the doors of our new facility by the first of the New Year. We will continue to offer physical therapy and help with nutrition while adding a 24-hour fitness gym and a CrossFit gym. For more information about our services, feel free to contact us at 662-282-4949.
By Cory Lee, LPTA, RRCA-Running Coach, CrossFit L-1 Trainer, CrossFit Gymnastics
Kimberly Lee, Doctor of Physical Therapy, CrossFit L-1 Trainer
Pro Physical Therapy
CrossFit White Horse
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