Your Metabolism: Are you messing it up?

Many of us put in our time at the gym and watch what we eat. Some of us take it to the extremes to see results (eating less & working out more). It's always important to make sure you're eating adequate calories, not overtraining, and recovering from intense workouts properly. One hot topic I have been seeing all over social media is Metabolic Damage. Oftentimes, when people see the scale stall when trying to lose weight, they assume they have metabolic damage. I've done a lot of homework after dealing with some of these symptoms myself, and I can tell you most people are very unlikely to have Metabolic Damage. I do, however, highly recommend that you listen to your body when you're feeling "off" or have symptoms that would make you think your metabolism is "off".  You may actually be dealing with Metabolic Compensation or Metabolic Resistance. Read about the symptoms of Metabolic Compensation, Metabolic Resistance, & Metabolic Damage below.  

 

Metabolic compensation:

You are eating less and burning more, and in turn your body compensates by making you more hungry and slowing down your metabolism (calories you burn at rest).

- Metabolism slows down and weight loss stalls (you hit a plateau). 

-Hunger, energy and cravings (HEC) become moderately out of balance. 

-This is very much like the early signs of athletic over-training. Also called overreaching. (Over-training is EXTREMELY difficult to do (think of your workouts compared to Le Tour de France), but you might simply need a rest day)

Metabolic resistance: 

-Weight loss halts completely, and you can no longer lose weight with an eat less, exercise more approach. -At best you maintain your weight with hunger, energy & cravings (HEC). 

-Mood changes occur. Feelings of anxiety or depression. 

- Trouble sleeping. You may have difficulty going to sleep and/or staying asleep.

Metabolic damage: 

-All of the above 

-You can't lose weight and may even be gaining weight despite no change in diet. 

-Your body is taking on a puffy/bloated look. 

-You may be dealing with hypothyroid symptoms of dry skin, itchy scalp, and slow thinking. 

-You are exhausted & or depressed. 

-Your menstrual cycle is completely gone or irregular. 

-You may be feeling light headed & sensitivity to bright lights. 

-You may have developed multiple food intolerance's. 

 

So You Want To Gain Weight?

A lot of my posts are on how to stay lean and toned. This post is no different, but for some the lean part is the problem. Being too lean, and not feeding your muscles properly may keep you feeling a little skinny and almost fragile. That is OK, some of us simply have quicker metabolisms than others (but the good thing is this can be altered with diet and exercise). We want our metabolism on our side, but some people with extra-speedy metabolisms have to work really hard to put on size.If you need to gain mass I would suggest adding at least one extra meal a day increase your caloric intake by 300 calories per day. If after 1-2 weeks there is no noticeable weight gain, increase by another 300 calorie per day increments. Continue this process until you start to gain at least 1 pound every 1-2 weeks.

What you need to do to gain weight is not just eat more, but eat the right things. SO MANY GUYS I know who lift regularly have fast metabolisms because they work out; their misconception is they can eat whatever they want to get bigger. WRONG! You have to eat the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat, etc.(from the right sources) Consume a higher ratio of protein, and carbohydrates. You need to consume 1.5-2g of protein per lb of body weight (if you weigh 130 you should consume 195-260 g of protein). If it is hard for you to get this protein in your diet you should supplement it with protein powder. You can drink a protein drink upon waking, between meals, before the gym, after the gym, and before bed if you aren't necessarily hungry for a full meal. You should also consume 2.5 lb of carbohydrate per lb of body weight ( if you weight 130 you should consume about 325g). You may be thinking wow this is a lot of food, but if you are consuming healthy balanced meals (carbohydrates, protein, fat) and making sure you eat every 2 hours I know you will gain the weight you want and be happy.

Healthy weight gain and working out is also extremely important. If you are consuming more calories you will gain weight. Since the food you are going to be eating is healthy, you won't get fat. You will be a new sexy lean and toned version of yourself. The thing is you MUST workout. You should be lifting weights about 5 times a week. Cardio is not as important, because you don't want to burn too many of those calories you are eating to put on size. If you love cardio, I would suggest making your weight routine a circuit with jump rope, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, etc. If you like running, keep it to HIIT on the treadmill (sprints) for no longer than 20 minutes. Cardio shouldn't exceed 20 minutes if you want to put on muscle.

I hope this helps those who struggle with keeping up weight and muscle. It can be hard for some but a balanced diet and regular strength training program can keep you toned and happy with your physique.