That Mysterious Metabolism

"My Metabolism doesn't work"

"I wrecked my metabolism"......."I can't lose weight because my metabolism quit."

Sound Familiar? This coach hears this daily. But when I ask questions like what is metabolism? How do you know it is broken? No one ever has the answer. Metabolism is truly a mystery. I hope today I can break it down and help you understand more about it.

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During metabolism, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function. 2 processes or categories of metabolism:

ANABOLISM: Anabolism is a process of storing of energy, supporting new cells, and maintaining body tissues.

CATABOLISM: Catabolism is breaking down energy to move and to give energy to your body. We need nutrition for metabolism.

Nutrition is necessary for metabolism. This is because metabolism rely on nutrients that they break down in order to produce energy. This energy is what we use even when we are at rest. Energy is used to breathe, circulate, regulate hormones and repair as well as grow cells and so much more.

BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate

This is the number of calories your body uses to carry our basic body processes. The number of calories your body uses at rest.

What affects BMR?