Metabolism is not the culprit when it comes to weight loss
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CheInNY
Posts: 6 Member
I came across this article and thought it is worth sharing and discussing here. It debunks the myth that slow metabolism causes weight gains.
Some key take away:
- It is very hard to change metabolic rate and that it stays steady after certain age.
- Your total movement, with or without gym, accounts for more weight loss/maintenance than your metabolic activity.
https://sciencealert.com/best-way-avoid-gaining-weight-age-metabolism-2018
What are your thoughts?
Some key take away:
- It is very hard to change metabolic rate and that it stays steady after certain age.
- Your total movement, with or without gym, accounts for more weight loss/maintenance than your metabolic activity.
https://sciencealert.com/best-way-avoid-gaining-weight-age-metabolism-2018
What are your thoughts?
2
Replies
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I mostly agree with the article, from the perspective of age 62. Another factor - perhaps especially so for women - is the maintenance of muscle mass and other lean tissue as we age . . . and that's also related to how much activity we sustain, but for most modern lives perhaps more related to intentional exercise activity than daily life activity. (The average person's job and chores are more sedentary than was the case a generation or two ago, so muscle mass and bone mass in particular are perhaps more linked to levels of intentional exercise, on average).
There's also the potential to get into a vicious cycle: Be inactive, lose physical strength/capability, become more inactive because of the difficulty of doing active things, lose more capability . . . . Sadly, a lot of people my age I know are doing just exactly that.
But there's potential for a virtuous cycle, too: Be more active, get stronger/fitter, become more capable/energetic, do more things, . . . .
I think, though, that your statement "Your total movement, with or without gym, accounts for more weight loss/maintenance than your metabolic activity" is a little misleading, i.e., could be misinterpreted. For most of us (who don't have super active jobs or extensive active hobbies), BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the numerically biggest component of our daily calorie burn; non-exercise activity is second biggest; and intentional exercise is third.
Because BMR is moderately invariant over time and between people, movement - non-exercise activity plus exercise - accounts for more of the difference in our calorie burn at different times, or between different people. In that sense, activity is more meaningful to total daily calorie burn thus weight management, because we have more control/influence over it. BMR still accounts for the numerically largest single chunk of calorie burn for most people, though, compared to the two other big categories. In fact, for a good many, those who are sedentary and generally inactive or even just moderately active, BMR is higher than the sum of the other two.11 -
The premise is good and this information needs to be stressed - you don't alter your metabolism or rate. Weight is an output of behavior - whether this be reduced calories, increased activity, or combination of both. There is no "boosting" or "slowing" your metabolism. If more people were aware of this it would destroy a lot of woo pushers.
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chetanmpatel wrote: »I came across this article and thought it is worth sharing and discussing here. It debunks the myth that slow metabolism causes weight gains.
Some key take away:
- It is very hard to change metabolic rate and that it stays steady after certain age.
- Your total movement, with or without gym, accounts for more weight loss/maintenance than your metabolic activity.
https://sciencealert.com/best-way-avoid-gaining-weight-age-metabolism-2018
What are your thoughts?
Yes...there is very little change in metabolism as we age. I gained all of my weight after 30. I graduated university when I was 30 and went from not owning a vehicle and walking or cycling almost everywhere and working retail, waiting tables, and landscape construction to owning a vehicle to commute and working 10-12 hour days sitting behind a desk for the most part.
It was easy enough at the time to blame my age and getting older and the middle age spread...but it was really going from being very, very active to being more or less sedentary.7 -
I agree with the article... I have been under the impression that our "metabolism slows down" as we age, because typically people are less active as they get older and they lose muscle mass. So as long as we continue to be active we should continue burning roughly the same amount of calories.4
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This video will never get old. Sure there are a lot of reasons that you *might* be one of the few who for various reasons have a more difficult time with fat loss, however, people tend to jump to that assumption vs ruling out the most obvious one. Under Reporting, overestimating calories burned during exercise; or a combination of both.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA9AdlhB18o8 -
Yeah, but hormones also play a part in weight gain. This article explains the part hormones play in weight issues and it supports the sciencealert article by stating that movement, along with a healthy diet, is essential to weight loss. http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diet/tips/are-your-hormones-making-you-gain-weight11
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joannwhatley wrote: »Yeah, but hormones also play a part in weight gain. This article explains the part hormones play in weight issues and it supports the sciencealert article by stating that movement, along with a healthy diet, is essential to weight loss. http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diet/tips/are-your-hormones-making-you-gain-weight
I would argue that most of these aren't the cause of weight gain but that these hormonal issues are a consequence of weight gain that can make weight loss more difficult until they are better regulated.15 -
This is the best and most important post that I’ve ever read on MFP community!!0
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@CSARdiver @cwolfman13, I agree fitness is the end result of amount of physical activity.
@AnnPT77, I see your point to an extent. I should have said metabolic rate at which we digest our and burn energy cannot be altered as per the article. If we look at definition of BMR from Wiki "Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate of energy expenditure per unit time by endothermic animals at rest". So, if you can elaborate more on your point regarding the correlation between BMR and my statement regarding activity I will appreciate it. I think they both complementary. If you have lean mass due to any type of activity you have better BMR regardless of your age.
My point is keep moving regardless of gym or not. For example, let's say you have a staircase and an escalator at work - we can control our method of elevation, right?
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joannwhatley wrote: »Yeah, but hormones also play a part in weight gain. This article explains the part hormones play in weight issues and it supports the sciencealert article by stating that movement, along with a healthy diet, is essential to weight loss. http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diet/tips/are-your-hormones-making-you-gain-weight
I think one thing that needs to be clarified is that metabolism does not equal appetite. Most of the factors on here note the idea of feeling full or hunger signals, but that doesn't impact how much you're actually burning, just whether you want to eat or not. None of these factors would come into play if you know how much you're eating (via a food diary).
This is why I don't believe people when they say they're "naturally" thin or have a "high" metabolism. They might just have a low appetite (among other factors, including activity). They actually burn less than people at higher weights and similar heights because they weigh less.11 -
joannwhatley wrote: »Yeah, but hormones also play a part in weight gain. This article explains the part hormones play in weight issues and it supports the sciencealert article by stating that movement, along with a healthy diet, is essential to weight loss. http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diet/tips/are-your-hormones-making-you-gain-weight
Hormones may impact appetite. They have severely limited influence over hunger.
@cwolfman13 is correct on this - it is impossible to maintain hormonal balance and be overweight. So it ends up as a viscous cycle.
This is also why any weight loss program incorporates some element of understanding the differences between hunger and appetite and how to manage this effectively.7 -
chetanmpatel wrote: »@CSARdiver @cwolfman13, I agree fitness is the end result of amount of physical activity.
@AnnPT77, I see your point to an extent. I should have said metabolic rate at which we digest our and burn energy cannot be altered as per the article. If we look at definition of BMR from Wiki "Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate of energy expenditure per unit time by endothermic animals at rest". So, if you can elaborate more on your point regarding the correlation between BMR and my statement regarding activity I will appreciate it. I think they both complementary. If you have lean mass due to any type of activity you have better BMR regardless of your age.
My point is keep moving regardless of gym or not. For example, let's say you have a staircase and an escalator at work - we can control our method of elevation, right?
I was simply saying that "Your total movement, with or without gym, accounts for more weight loss/maintenance than your metabolic activity" is stated ambiguously. I'm being pedantic, as usual.
I agree with what I think you mean - that movement is the controlling/controllable factor that makes a meaningful difference, because BMR is fairly invariant. (Heck, I created a whole thread about increasing non-exercise (NEAT) movement to improve weight loss. I can't paste a link with this device, but it's stickied, I think in the General Health, Fitness & Diet topic.)
But your statement could be misinterpreted as "accounts for more" in a numeric sense, which would be false for many people. My TDEE, based on experience, is in the low 2000s. Let's say 2300, to be specific. My calculator-estimated BMR is around 1200. My intentional exercise runs around 300, which would imply non-exercise activity around 800. So BMR > non-exercise activity > exercise (1200 > 800 > 300), and BMR > movement (1200 > 1100).
BMR "accounts for more weight loss/maintenance" than movement, numerically. Pedantic!
ETA: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss6 -
With the extreme exception of elite athletes BMR will always be the dominant driver of calorie usage.
My n=1: BMR = 2050 Exercise varies from 300 to 1600/daily, so even on my most challenging days exertion only accounts for 13-44%.
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Sure, but here's the thing: I'm not as fast as I was when I was younger. So even if my metabolism is the same and I do the exact same workout, appearing to exert the same level of activity, I'm slower and I'm less efficient because I'm almost 50. Lung capacity, joints, strength--all of that--it's just not what it was. That 10min mile is waaaay harder now, and I'm in pretty good shape.
It makes sense that age-related weight gain is related to being less active, but they need to define "active" and address the other factors that affect weight gain--less growth hormone, hormonal changes as you age, loss of muscle mass. This seems to oversimplify the issue by implying that staying active alone is the answer. Metabolism can remain unchanged, but other things are clearly going on because I can't drink wine and eat pizza every night anymore!1 -
candicew70 wrote: »Sure, but here's the thing: I'm not as fast as I was when I was younger. So even if my metabolism is the same and I do the exact same workout, appearing to exert the same level of activity, I'm slower and I'm less efficient because I'm almost 50. Lung capacity, joints, strength--all of that--it's just not what it was. That 10min mile is waaaay harder now, and I'm in pretty good shape.
It makes sense that age-related weight gain is related to being less active, but they need to define "active" and address the other factors that affect weight gain--less growth hormone, hormonal changes as you age, loss of muscle mass. This seems to oversimplify the issue by implying that staying active alone is the answer. Metabolism can remain unchanged, but other things are clearly going on because I can't drink wine and eat pizza every night anymore!
"Active" doesn't just mean exercise. When I was in my 20s I rarely did deliberate exercise except for stints here and there in the weight room...but I was active overall. My jobs were active, I was walking around a college campus a lot, I didn't own a car so I walked or biked most places, my buddies and I liked playing frisbee golf and ultimate frisbee, etc. I was active to the point of not having to worry about food or calories or anything and I could drink beer and eat pizza every night.
I'm as active as I can be now, but even with regular, deliberate exercise, it's nowhere close to being as active as I used to be overall because much of my day consists of sitting behind a desk. I can't drink beer and eat pizza every night anymore because even with deliberate exercise, my overall activity pales in comparison to what it used to be.9 -
candicew70 wrote: »Sure, but here's the thing: I'm not as fast as I was when I was younger. So even if my metabolism is the same and I do the exact same workout, appearing to exert the same level of activity, I'm slower and I'm less efficient because I'm almost 50. Lung capacity, joints, strength--all of that--it's just not what it was. That 10min mile is waaaay harder now, and I'm in pretty good shape.
It makes sense that age-related weight gain is related to being less active, but they need to define "active" and address the other factors that affect weight gain--less growth hormone, hormonal changes as you age, loss of muscle mass. This seems to oversimplify the issue by implying that staying active alone is the answer. Metabolism can remain unchanged, but other things are clearly going on because I can't drink wine and eat pizza every night anymore!
I'm 47 and ran my last 5k in just under 20 mins and I was thinking the same thing...until seeing the results and the winner of the race made it in just over 15 mins.
He was 52.
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Unless you have a medical issue which makes losing weight difficult , people who use the metabolism as as an excuse are usually those who don't understand the concept of being in a caloric deficit .13
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This might be true for most people, but I have a really slow metabolism. My mom told me that when I was a little kid and it wouldn't have changed now. That's the only reason I carry extra weight.
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candicew70 wrote: »Sure, but here's the thing: I'm not as fast as I was when I was younger. So even if my metabolism is the same and I do the exact same workout, appearing to exert the same level of activity, I'm slower and I'm less efficient because I'm almost 50. Lung capacity, joints, strength--all of that--it's just not what it was. That 10min mile is waaaay harder now, and I'm in pretty good shape.
It makes sense that age-related weight gain is related to being less active, but they need to define "active" and address the other factors that affect weight gain--less growth hormone, hormonal changes as you age, loss of muscle mass. This seems to oversimplify the issue by implying that staying active alone is the answer. Metabolism can remain unchanged, but other things are clearly going on because I can't drink wine and eat pizza every night anymore!
I'm 47 and ran my last 5k in just under 20 mins and I was thinking the same thing...until seeing the results and the winner of the race made it in just over 15 mins.
He was 52.
This hits too close to home for me!
I'm not slow, but I'm regularly outrun by people in older age groups. Training goes a long way.4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »candicew70 wrote: »Sure, but here's the thing: I'm not as fast as I was when I was younger. So even if my metabolism is the same and I do the exact same workout, appearing to exert the same level of activity, I'm slower and I'm less efficient because I'm almost 50. Lung capacity, joints, strength--all of that--it's just not what it was. That 10min mile is waaaay harder now, and I'm in pretty good shape.
It makes sense that age-related weight gain is related to being less active, but they need to define "active" and address the other factors that affect weight gain--less growth hormone, hormonal changes as you age, loss of muscle mass. This seems to oversimplify the issue by implying that staying active alone is the answer. Metabolism can remain unchanged, but other things are clearly going on because I can't drink wine and eat pizza every night anymore!
I'm 47 and ran my last 5k in just under 20 mins and I was thinking the same thing...until seeing the results and the winner of the race made it in just over 15 mins.
He was 52.
This hits too close to home for me!
I'm not slow, but I'm regularly outrun by people in older age groups. Training goes a long way.
Our brains quit long before our bodies do. That's a harsh lesson on just how much we limit ourselves sacrificing excellence for comfort.4
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