Metabolism

getskinnyk8

I've always had a fairly fast metabolism--I just eat and drink a TON, which has led to my weight gain over the years. If I continue to eat 1200 calories a day, won't my metabolism slow down, so that when I finally lose the weight, I'll have to continue eating very few calories to maintain it? How can I stop my metabolism from slowing down?

Does anybody know any more about this?

AdAstra47

I'm not an expert or anything, but I do know that how much you eat, # of calories, is only a small part of your metabolism. Hormones and chemicals are constantly interacting in your body. Other things that can influence metabolism efficiency: how much sleep you're getting, how much water you're drinking, the temperature and humidity outside, the altitude where you live, childhood diseases you've had, the percentage of your body mass that is composed of muscle vs. fat vs. water, where you're at in your reproductive cycle (for both women *and* men, and yes, men have cycles too), how frequently you eat, and the different kinds of calories you eat (carbs vs. fat vs. protein).

The easiest things for you to manipulate, to maximize your metabolism & keep it from slowing down, are how much you sleep, drink and eat. And you can always try fiddling with your macronutrient percentages (carbs / fat / protein) to see what combination makes your body work most efficiently. Personally, when I lowered my carbs and raised my protein, and started eating regularly every three hours, I discovered that was the key to having lots of energy. For me, anyway. Everyone's body is different.

Good luck to you!

ladyphoto

Add in exercise and weight training for a good permanent metabolism lift (as long as you are active that is)

It's the easiest way to keep your system up and burning.

alyssamiller77

Your metabolism will ultimately slow with age no matter what you do. Without going into details, there are simple physiological changes that occur in your body as you age that result in your body needing less energy to function. That said you can reduce the rate at which it slows by continuing to stay fit. Muscle tissues require more energy to maintain than fat tissues, so keeping your strength training going is a key factor.