If there’s a silver lining in this recession, it is that we’re all learning how to budget. Now that we’re all getting used to the idea of financial budgeting, isn’t it time we started budgeting our calories, too?
Most of us know that our weight is directly related to our metabolism, but what exactly is metabolism and how does it work? For the purposes of weight control, metabolism refers to the number of calories your body burns in a day. There are three main contributors to metabolism — unintentional activity (breathing, circulation, respiration, etc.), digestion and physical activity. Unintentional activity is the biggest consumer, using up about 70 percent of calories you burn each day. Digestion uses about 10 percent, and physical activity (everything from yoga to brushing your teeth) burns the remaining 20 percent.
When we consume more energy than we burn in a day, our body stores those excess calories as fat. And it doesn’t take a great deal of overeating to pile on the weight. If you consume just 100 calories more than you burn each day for a year (that’s the amount of calories in a handful of chips, a dry slice of toast or even just a small banana), by the end of the year you’ll have gained 10 pounds.
Just like sticking to a budget, getting to a healthy weight starts with knowing how many calories you have to “spend” each day. The most accurate way to figure out your metabolic rate is to have it tested by a professional — certain hospitals, dietitians, doctors and trainers offer metabolic testing based on how much oxygen you consume. If you can’t find a professional to test your metabolic rate, you can estimate it using a simple formula (see sidebar).
Once you’ve determined how many calories you have in your budget, achieving your weight goals is a matter of basic math. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat or drink. For every 3,500 calories you expend, you’ll lose a pound of fat. Burning 3,500 calories via exercise isn’t — excuse the pun — a piece of cake (unless you have about 10 hours to spare walking on the treadmill). So, in addition to following a healthy, reduced-calorie diet (rich in vegetables, fruits and lean protein), here are some ways to increase your metabolic rate:
Lift weights. A pound of muscle at rest burns about 10 times the amount of calories as a pound of fat. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be.
Eat regularly. When the body isn’t fed on a regular basis (about every three to four hours, except overnight), it slows down metabolism. Studies show that when subjects eat five to six small meals and snacks, they have a higher metabolic rate than when they skip meals.
Drink up. Dehydration slows down your body’s caloric burn. How much water should you drink? Enough that your urine is light yellow in color.
Drink up part II. Studies show that green tea helps speed your metabolism. Sipping two cups of green tea a day is a good place to start.
Get your zzzz. Sleep deprivation not only slows metabolic rate, it also increases appetite. The average adult needs a minimum of seven to eight hours a night.
Sue Saunders is the founder of Championship Nutrition (championshipnutrition.com) and works with the Capitals and D.C. United.
