You can know absolutely nothing about fitness, but I can guarantee you that you have heard of slow and fast metabolisms!
But while this term gets thrown around so regularly, does it actually have any merit?
And the answer is simple… yes it does have merit, however the way people use slow/fast metabolism in a sentence is usually completely out of context…
Now I’m sure in your life time you have heard someone say “I just can’t lose weight because I have a slow metabolism”… and you know what, maybe they do... But here is why they are not losing weight:
- They don’t move enough and their NEAT/expenditure is lower than needed.
- They consume too much and eat over the caloric maintenance.
Did you hear me say metabolism in there?
Metabolisms can vary yes, but not enough to worry about… rather areas of concern should be lifestyle choices and day-to-day activity. So lets, have a look at the polar opposite to our individual with a ‘slow metabolism’… the ‘tradie’.
Often you will hear a tradie say to his mate that they have a fast metabolism… and once again there is merit to this but it is out of context…
The reason a tradie will stay lean year round or have a fast metabolism is due to:
- Their job being highly demanding and keeping them on their feet all day. This means their expenditure throughout the day is higher than others, say in an office job where they are at their desk for most of their working hours.
- They don’t track their calories efficiently and therefore don’t realise that they are not eating as much as their body requires in order to put on muscle.
Now let’s keep this simple so you have a better understanding of what we are talking about here:
- The less you do the slower your metabolism.
- The more you do the faster your metabolism.
While genetics do play a role, understanding that expenditure plays a larger role will allow you to achieve your fat loss goals, rather than beating the horse dead with slow and fast metabolisms.
So now we know why we are either losing unwanted weight or not losing enough weight, but how do we fix it? another simple answer…
- If you have a fast metabolism and can’t seem to put on muscle do less and eat more!
- If you have a slow metabolism and struggle to lose fat do more and eat less!
Okay that’s enough of the word metabolism for one day :P
For personalised programs for your ‘metabolism’ and to see the results you’re chasing fast, click here and enquire about our online coaching services.
Comments