Are you a middle age guy and you want to regain the youth and vigor you had when you were younger? The key to achieving this holy grail may be to boost your metabolic rate.
The metabolic rate is the speed at which your body consumes calories from food to perform basic bodily functions. It is believed people with a higher metabolism have an easier time losing weight and keeping it off, since their bodies burn calories more efficiently.
We all know that one person, maybe a family member or a friend, who it seems can eat whatever they want and as much as they want. They never seem to gain an ounce.
On the flip side, people with a slow metabolism have to watch every calorie they consume. For people with a slow basal metabolic rate, extra calories consumed can be stored in the body as fat, leading to weight gain.
How to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate
Women:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 × weight in kg) + (1.8 × height in cm) – (4.7 × age in years)
Men:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 × weight in kg) + (5 × height in cm) – (6.8 × age in years)
Healthline reports, knowing your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) can be used to help you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. By knowing how many calories you burn, you can know how many to consume.
Does Metabolic Rate Slow Down with Age
Research shows that metabolism can slow down with age. This is especially true for men. For men, the slowdown in metabolic rate appears to increase after age 35.
In addition to biological changes, there are several contributing external factors that can lead to a slow metabolism. Middle age men tend to be more sedentary, leading to weight gain. Stress from work and family issues can lead to overeating, impact digestive health and affect other bodily functions. Combined this can lead to a slow down in metabolism.
Around this age several biological changes begin to appear:
- Scientists found that older adults had 20% fewer mitochondria. This is the energy plant for cells.
- As men age, their mitochondria were nearly 50% less efficient at using oxygen to create energy, which is the process that helps drive your metabolism.
- Testosterone levels in men begin to drop 1% per year after age 35.
- Metabolic rate is affected activity levels, loss of muscle mass and several other factors.
Can Metabolism Be Increased
The good news about metabolism is that you can actually increase your metabolic rate at any age. This can lead to weight loss, more energy, increased focus and concentration and an overall improvement in health and wellness.
You will need to make some lifestyle changes, get more exercise, eat a metabolic diet and get more rest.
1. Lifestyle Changes to Boost Metabolism
- If you smoke, it is recommended that you quit smoking. You can boost your metabolism and achieve other health benefits if you quit smoking. People who smoke tend to be more sedentary. Also, smoking tends to dull taste buds, so you end up eating more food.
- Alcohol consumption in moderation is fine. While eliminating alcohol consumption is ideal, moderate alcohol consumption recommended.
- Exercise 3 to 5 times a week for at least one hour. Do more strength training exercise, such as resistance training and weight lifting. Take a Zumba class.
- Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
- Reduce social media interaction. Studies show people spend as much as 6 hours a day on social media. That should be reduced to 2 hours per day.
2. Increase your Muscle Mass to Boost Metabolic Rate
WebMD reports When you increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), you increased the number of calories you burn per hour, even while resting.
“When you increase your muscle mass, you boost your resting metabolism — and that makes your body burn more calories”, says Katie Heimburger. an Atlanta based exercise physiologist.
Adding lean muscle mass increases your BMR. This means your body will burn more calories throughout the day just to maintain its basic functions. This change in your metabolic rate has the potential to be permanent, as long as you maintain your muscle mass.
Increasing metabolism for weight loss takes time and effort. You can’t add lean muscle mass overnight. You need to have an exercise program that includes building lean muscle, and an aerobic exercise program that increases oxygen.
3. Eat a Metabolic Diet
The reality is the modern American diet is super-sized and loaded with processed foods, high in trans-fats, loaded in sugar, sodium and LDL cholesterol.
The modern American diet can lead to weight gain, digestive disorders, inflammation and other health issues. When you see ingredients for your food that require a degree in biology to pronounce them, or what they are you probably shouldn’t be eating them.
The best way to increase your metabolic rate is to eat a metabolic diet. A metabolic diet is not a one-size-fits-all weight loss plan. You begin with your current weight, then determine your desired weight. This will determine your weight loss goals and how much you need to super charge your metabolism, to achieve your weight loss goals.
In Conclusion
You may be thinking that once you hit age 40 or 50, that you are too old to increase your metabolic rate. That is a big misconception. You can increase your metabolic rate at any age.
You may just need to make diet, exercise and lifestyle changes and a bit of time. Your body will respond positively if you eat the right foods in the right combination to supercharge your metabolism. You can learn more here.
Ken Weiss is a health blogger who is passionate about natural and holistic cures for men’s health issues. He is the founder of menshealthcures.com
simply informative and motivational post I was looking for inspiration. Thanks for effort please keep updating.