how to jumpstart metabolism?

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how to jumpstart metabolism?

Postby Jeanie » Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:06 pm

I am wondering if I have a slow metabolism. Can there be such a thing really? And if so, how would a person encourage it to increase?
thanks
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Hi Jeanie

Postby f1jim » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:20 pm

This study, just off the press, might help.

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619968

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Postby Adrienne » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:03 pm

I'm not Jeff but I am guessing that if you have a slow metabolism and are inactive then regular excercise can give it a kick start.
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Postby Carol » Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:29 am

Prior to reading the article that f1jim posted, I had always read that eating and exercising are the two factors that can increase metabolism. On the flip side, low activity and too few calories can slow the metabolism. Eating....that means eating enough but not too much, a difficult distinction for most.

McD says that if you are eating the right foods, your body will tell you when its hungry. And this built-in function does not malfunction so long as you are feeding your body correctly. It does, however, malfunction when your body isn't getting proper nutrition. Those hunger signals in the latter statement are quite possibly signals for needed nutrients.

So...EAT, WALK and be merry. :)
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Postby slugmom » Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:20 am

Like Carol, my understanding is that moderate, regular exercise and regular *healthy* and generous eating (rather than calorie deprivation) are the two things that signal to your body to "get burning" ... eating too little signals the body to slow down and conserve. If we're eating the *right* foods (think MWL) we'd be hard pressed to *store* much even if we DID overeat, because it's just not easily stored if it's not heavily processed and is very low in fat.

I believe that Dr. Neal Barnard's book "Turn Off The Fat Genes" addresses some how the *hows* of eating right and how it triggers a healthy metabolism. There ARE some changes we can make, even to our genes. But in general the specifics aren't gimmicks but along the same lines as what Dr. McDougall teaches us. High fiber, plant based, naturally low fat foods, minimally processed. But the book is a great read.
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Postby Carol » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:17 pm

Another thought would be increasing muscle mass (as in adding weights to an exercise routine). That could be free weights or adding a backpack when going for walks. I 'believe' that's why men generally have an easier time than women do loosing weight....their muscle mass ratio is higher.

I feel like I'm thee slowest looser here. In 21 months I have lost a total of 34 pounds. On average, that's less than 2 pounds in a month. But I have increased my exercise, even though there's room for improvement (maybe, since I have to manage old injuries). I figure since I'm doing it right, I will get there when I get there. Right now I'm loosing size, but no weight. Got into a pair of jeans this morning that surprised me. :-D I just can't force the issue or else it will drive me nuts. So I'm along for the (long) ride.
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Re: how to jumpstart metabolism?

Postby JeffN » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:32 pm

Jeanie wrote:I am wondering if I have a slow metabolism. Can there be such a thing really? And if so, how would a person encourage it to increase?
thanks


Hi Jeanie

There really is no such thing as a "slow metabolism" in regard to the way most people refer to it in regard tio weight. While there are some medical conditions (thyroid) that can effect metabolism & weight, these are easily tested for and rectified.

Part of the confusion is due to a misunderstanding of metabolism & what people mean when they discuss it.

Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) is the total amount of calories you burn in a day. Some people often confuse this with "metabolism" (RMR &/or BMR) but they are not the same. It is the sum total of your "metabolism", the thermal effect of food (TEF), and ones activities of daily living (ADL) & physical activity (PA).

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of caloires you burn if you did absolutely nothing all day but laid in bed & slept.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is virtually the same thing as BMR & is often used interchangeably. It is slighlty different & is how many calories you burn if you were awake and did nothing but stayed in bed all day & rested. It is slightly higher than BMR as it includes some activity from being "awake"

There is really little anyone can do to change or "jumpstart" their RMR or BMR. Most of your BMR/RMR is driven by your vital organs (heart, brain, lungs, kidney, liver, etc). It is relative to your total mass so usually the more of you there is (ht &/or wt) the higher it is.

TEF is the thermal effect of food. It is amount of calories you burn digesting the food you eat. While the macronutrient composition of the diet may effect it slightly, it is safe to estimate it at 10% of the calories you consume. Some people mistakenly use TEF to think that eating or eating more will cause them to burn more total calories or raise or "jumpstart" their RMR/BMR. It won't as TEF is separate from RMR/BMR and is always only a small portion of the total calories needed to be ingested to get the effect. So to burn or "jumpstart" your body to burn an extra 300 caories from TEF one would have to eat 3000 more calories. This leaves a net increase of 2700 calories. Hardly a "jumpstart" to net 2700 calories in ;)

ADL or PA is actitvity of daily living or physical activity. This is where we have the biggest influence & can make the biggest difference in TEE. So by being more active throughout the day & including formal activity &/or exercise is how we can best effect our total energy expenditure.

When they look at thin people they find they have higher TEE from a higher ADL & higher PA than heavier people. They have also found that part of this is from what they now call NEAT or Non Exercise Activtites. This is not exactly ADL or PA but is defined as little movements throughout the day such as "fidgeting", etc . They have found these can add up and can account for upwards of 300 calories a dayor more burned.

So, there is little we can do to effect our RMR/BMR. However, there is a lot we can do to influence our TEE by increasing our ADL & our PA & what is now being called NEAT each day.

PS we often hear that our metabolisms slow down as we age. While it does somewhat, the majority of this decline is actually do to a decline not in RMR/BMR but due to a decline in ADL, PA, & NEAT & also the resulting loss of muscle that accompanies inactivity.


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Postby MarkCSpangenberg » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:43 pm

We are so fortunate to have Jeff's knowledge available to us on this board. Thank you so much, Jeff, for all that you contribute. Whatever Dr McDougall pays you, I think it should be doubled :-D
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Postby Jeanie » Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:49 pm

Gosh ! Thanks for that information, Jeff. :-D

And for all the helpful hints and thoughtful replies from all of you before.

Now that I have been cleared by the doctor that my broken ankle is healed enough to start using it more I can go back to walking! ( I've been virtually stuck in non-activity for 4 weeks. ) That will help w/ the ADL and PA - And I believe that I will start fidgeting more. Won't that be neat?! HA!

Thank you again~~~ Jeanie
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Postby Chumly » Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:40 am

I wonder if "slow metabolism" is just a matter of personalities. I come from a very introverted, laid back family. I am a quiet, person who is very calm and relaxed most of the time. I see other people who are very excited, energetic, and animated. I think spending every waking moment one way or the other could have a significant difference on the amount of calories one needs to consume just to maintain weight. I am currently working on getting a regular workout routine that includes some weight training with the notion that it will increase my energy level. It seems to work, although weight loss has been slow (7 lbs. in 10 weeks). This may be advantageous in the long run, but I want the weight off faster.

Michael
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Postby eaufraiche703 » Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:49 am

thanks for the mini-course, Jeff - what interesting and elucidating information!

so, to paraphrase Carol, we should

EAT, WALK, Be MERRY... and fidget!

:D
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Postby JeffN » Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:36 am

eaufraiche703 wrote:thanks for the mini-course, Jeff - what interesting and elucidating information!


Thank you.

eaufraiche703 wrote:so, to paraphrase Carol, we should

EAT, WALK, Be MERRY... and fidget!

:D


I agree. :)

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Re: how to jumpstart metabolism?

Postby JeffN » Sat Nov 21, 2015 11:46 am

JeffN wrote:TEF is the thermal effect of food. It is amount of calories you burn digesting the food you eat. While the macronutrient composition of the diet may effect it slightly, it is safe to estimate it at 10% of the calories you consume. Some people mistakenly use TEF to think that eating or eating more will cause them to burn more total calories or raise or "jumpstart" their RMR/BMR. It won't as TEF is separate from RMR/BMR and is always only a small portion of the total calories needed to be ingested to get the effect. So to burn or "jumpstart" your body to burn an extra 300 caories from TEF one would have to eat 3000 more calories. This leaves a net increase of 2700 calories. Hardly a "jumpstart" to net 2700 calories in ;)


The claim has often been made, which I have often been asked about, that consuming a high carbohydrate diet, like the one recommended here, results in an increased (or higher) metabolism. To answer this, we have to first clarify all the issues related to metabolism, as I did above. Then, we have to understand that the question is not really related to BMR (basal metabolic rate), but to TEE (total energy expenditure,which is often thought of as our metabolism), and thermogenesis.

There are three main things that contribute to thermogenesis, formal exercise (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis), daily activities (Non Exercise Associated Thermogenesis) and the thermal effect of food (TEF) also known as Diet Induced Thermogeneisis (DIT). As described above, these three are parts of TEE (total energy expenditure) but not BMR.

Therefore, this question, in relation to whether switching to a diet like the one recommended here, does this diet increase thermogenesis, and more specifically, the thermal effect of food and if so, how much of an increase is it.

In a mixed diet, and for most mixed diets, we estimate TEF to be about 10-15%. The TEF of fat is about 0-3%, carbs 15-25% and protein 20-30% and these are estimates, which can vary. In addition, within each food group, the least processed the food is, and the more fiber in the food, the higher the TEF. So, there is no one single number we can use.

However, looking at the numbers, it is easy to see why one would think that switching from a higher fat, highly processed diet to a higher carb, minimally processed diet, would raise the TEF part of thermogenesis.

Let's run some sample numbers and use 3% for fat 20% for carb and 25% for protein to see if this is true and if so, how big is the benefit.

Take someone eating 1800 calories, 35% fat, 15% protein, 50% carb who is in energy balance (1800 in, 1800 out)

Fat - 35% = 630 calories x 3% = 19 calories TEF
Protein - 15% = 270 calories x 25% = 68 calories TEF
Carb - 50% = 900 calories x 20% = 180 calories TEF

Total TEF = 267 (which is 14.8% of calories)

Now, lets switch them to 1800 calories, 10% fat, 15% protein and 75% carb

Fat - 10% = 180 calories x 3% =5 calories TEF
Protein - 15% = 270 calories x 25% - 68 calories TEF
Carb - 75% = 1350 calories x 20% = 270 calories TEF

Total TEF = 343 (which is 19% of calories)

As you can see, without even factoring for the impact of the higher fiber and the less processing, by switching from a higher fat to a higher carb diet, you burn more calories from TEF

Here, it is an 76 calorie benefit, which, while it is a 28% increase in TEF, the impact, is only an 4% of total energy expenditure (1800 calories).

So, yes, we do get an advantage in TEF (which is not directly metabolism but part of the Total Energy Expenditure equation) but it is minimal at best

The problem with isolating this impact is if you follow the logic, switching to a higher protein diet, would create and even higher TEF. Not much, but slightly higher.

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