Question about metabolism

becess96

I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question but I'm curious: is there such a thing as fast metabolism or slow metabolism ? Cause people say "if you eat 3500 calories you gain a pound" but do people with fast metabolism gain less than a pound and people with slow metabolism gain more, or is it the same for everyone ? haha
Also, are there ways to speed your metabolism or it's mostly genetic, just like your height ?

ForecasterJason

Scientifically, the thing about fast vs slow metabolism has kind of been shot down. However, there are ample anecdotal accounts that suggest there could be some truth to it (skinny people eating more than heavier people but yet not gaining weight). I also think age is a significant component, and genetics could play a part as well. I can tell you my metabolism seems to be lightning fast right now, but that could be partly due to the fact that I am young. People around me are amazed that I am very skinny despite the amount of food I eat in proportion to my low activity lifestyle.

Kalikel

Some people have faster and slower metabolism. Thyroid is a big one for throwing a wrench in the works. Not all, but many people who are hyperthyroid can eat a lot and stay skinny as heck. Hypothyroid goes the other way.

Age, activity, sex, et cetera - it all plays a role.

If you have questions about your health, see your doctor.

lemurcat12

becess96 wrote: »

is there such a thing as fast metabolism or slow metabolism ?

Metabolism varies. Larger people or people with more muscle mass burn more calories in their daily life independent of activity than smaller people or people with less muscle. There also seems to be some natural variation in burn rate even if you hold all else equal, which is why you have to take those TDEE calculators as an estimate and compare with actual results. How much does it vary? Setting aside stuff like size and activity (the latter which you have lots of control over), probably not as much as people like to think, other than in the case of medical conditions that can slow metabolism or a very small number of people who seem to have immense difficulty gaining weight. I don't worry about it.

Cause people say "if you eat 3500 calories you gain a pound" but do people with fast metabolism gain less than a pound and people with slow metabolism gain more, or is it the same for everyone ?

More accurately it's "if you eat 3500 calories more than you burn you gain a pound." What you burn is going to differ from person to person and even from day to day depending on how active you are.

But generally speaking the way I just stated it is the same for everyone. Metabolism is about how much you burn.

Cherimoose

If you're an 18 year old male, you almost certainly have a high metabolism.. or at least a normal one. Any extra weight you have is probably from a simple calorie surplus. The solution of course is a calorie deficit.
Heavy strength training is a good way to maintain a high metabolic rate during fat loss, since we tend to lose some muscle during the process.

TimothyFish

You seem to equate metabolism with calories burned. Essentially, people who are more active burn more calories and people who are less active burn less. There are additional factors, but you never find a person with a fast metabolism sitting around a lot.