How to Increase Your Metabolic Rate

To increase your metabolic rate, or the rate at which your body burns energy, you need to exercise at a moderate intensity (a level where your breathing rate is elevated, but you can still carry out a conversation) for at least 250 minutes a week. You also need to eat small meals every three hours. 

Metabolism Explained

Your metabolism is important in determining how much body fat you burn. Every person's metabolic rate is different, but in theory, raising your metabolic rate by 10% can decrease your body weight by up to 7.5 kilograms! Your metabolic rate comprises of three factors, two of which you have the power to change:

1. Resting metabolic rate the amount of energy expended when you are sleeping or sedentary (60 - 70% of the average person's daily energy use)
2. Physical activity (20 - 25% of the average person's daily energy use)
3. Thermogenesis an increase in your resting metabolic rate in response to stimuli such as food digestion (10% of the average person's daily energy use)

The two factors that you have the power to change are the physical activity (engage in regular exercise) and thermogenesis (eat every 2-3 hours).

Don't Slow Your Metabolism

One of the fastest ways to slow your metabolsim is to 'crash diet', or try fast diets and fasting. When you lose weight quickly, your body responds to perceived starvation by slowing your metabolic rate to conserve energy. Hence when you start eating normally again, your body stores fat because its metabolism has slowed!

Yo-yo dieting has a similar effect. The more weight you lose, regain and lose again; the more muscle tissue you will shed. Unlike fat, muscle tissue is metabolically active.

So by maintaining a healthy metabolism with exercise and regular eating, you'll enjoy a healthy metabolism - and a healthy weight.

Fast Weight Loss: Why it Doesn't Work

Fasting diets generate fast but false results. Here's why:

You lose fluid, not fat And any fluid lost will return as soon as the fast is completed, in other words you'll re-gain any weight that you lost.

Lowered metabolism During fasting your metabolism slows by up to 40% to prepare for starvation, so when you eat normally again your body burns fewer calories and you gain weight.

Hunger and lethargy Fasting leads to hunger and cravings - not what you need when you are trying to lose weight! And when you drastically cut your calorie intake you will feel weak, making it even more difficult to maintain your resolve to lose weight.

Yo yo dieting Fasting often leads to cycles of weight loss and weight gain called 'yo yo' dieting. 95% of people who go on fast weight loss diets regain any weight lost - plus more - within two years (1).

Abstinence leads to binging When your food intake is restricted you experience physical and emotional deprivation. This compels you to eat, which commonly leads to overeating or binging. As a result, you are likely to feel sensations of guilt and failure. This often becomes a cycle which is difficult to break and has devastating effects on your self esteem (1).

Nutritional deficiencies Prolonged fasting may lead to nutritional deficiencies. For example, if you don't consume enough calcium you may be at risk of osteoporosis, or if you don't consume enough fibre you may experience constipation.

Poor Health Fast weight loss is bad for your health because it:
- Increases your risk of medical complications such as gallstones, gout and constipation (2)
- Lowers your immunity
- Leaves you deficient in important vitamins and minerals.

Impracticalities Fast weight loss involves restricting food intake to the point where you are constantly hungry and lack the nutrients you need to maintain physical health and energy levels. This situation can't be sustained in the long term. Plus fasting makes it difficult to carry out normal social interactions - people who are dieting often avoid social situations and family mealtimes, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Some people claim that fasting can help rid your body of 'toxins' (i.e. the food you eat). 'Toxins' occur naturally in your body, and your body has fantastic systems to cleanse itself (your kidneys and liver).

Healthy Weight Loss

A sensible weight loss goal is 0.5 - 1kg per week, and the best way to achieve this is to make healthy changes to your eating and exercise habits. These changes should always be sustainable - that way you will lose weight and keep it off. 

References:
1. Why Diets Don't Work, Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria
2. Rapid Weight Loss Linked to Gallstones, Flinders Medical Centre

Meal Replacements: A Great Tool with the Right Advice

Meal replacements are designed to assist in controlling calorie intake, a critical plank for weight loss. But they can also be confusing, frustrating and disappointing and leave you back where you started. 

That's because most meal replacements are sold without any advice, or any supervision from a health professional; as demonstrated by a recent CHOICE Magazine study. This lack of advice leaves you to work out your own treatment plan, adding to the increased chance of failure.

The Benefits of Using Meal Replacements

Used correctly, meal replacements can be a great short term weight loss tool. At the Wesley Weight Management Clinic we've found that meal replacements:

• Help you to become accustomed to eating smaller portion sizes
• Promote independence from food
• Narrow your food choices, allowing you to manage the amount and type of food you consume (people consume fewer calories when presented with a smaller selection of food)
• Increase your rate of weight loss
• Help you to feel satiated (not hungry) for longer
• Can provide all of the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs if you choose a nutritionally balanced formulation (at the Wesley Weight Management Clinic we use Optifast 800)
• Help to regulate your blood sugar levels and maintain energy levels
• Help you form a habit of eating at regular intervals and focusing on one meal or snack at a time
• Require minimal preparation and fit easily into a busy schedule.

Get the Right Advice

If you want to use a meal replacement as a tool for weight loss, you should engage the assistance of a suitably qualified health professional such as a Dietitian or Doctor. 

A health professional can help you work out an appropriate schedule of meal replacements, monitor your rate of weight loss and the nutritional quality of your diet, provide advice if you experience any side effects and help you transition back onto normal food when you reach your weight loss goal.

This advice is critical if you have Diabetes or Hypertension: meal replacements can change your symptoms or impact upon the effectiveness of your medication.

Life After Using a Meal Replacement

Meal replacements aren't a long term weight loss solution. When you reach your weight loss goal you need to transition back onto 'normal' food gradually. You also need to learn the skills you need to keep your weight off for life, including meal planning, healthy grocery shopping, meal portioning, exercise and low fat cooking.

For more information about the healthy use of meal replacements, talk to your Doctor .