This might be the most straightforward thing you’ll ever read about metabolism that isn’t trying to sell you a supplement or quick fix.
Your metabolism is simply the rate at which your body burns energy.
Think of it like fuel consumption in a car. Your body requires calories for energy—just like your car needs gas to run. You use calories for essential functions like digestion and circulation, but you also need them for movement and exercise.
When you consume more calories than your body needs, the excess is stored as fat. Things get tricky when sugar is involved—sugar can signal to your body that a flood of calories is incoming, and it’s usually right. That’s why sugary foods are so easy to overconsume, leading to fat storage. But we’ll keep it simple for now.
A faster metabolism means your body burns more calories. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. The three ways your body burns calories are:
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – This is the energy your body burns just to keep you alive. The more muscle you have, the higher your BMR. The less muscle, the lower your BMR. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it requires energy to maintain.
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) – Your body expends a small amount of energy digesting food. Protein and fats require slightly more energy to break down compared to carbohydrates, but this accounts for only about 10% of your daily calorie burn.
- Physical Activity – Moving your body burns calories. However, daily tasks like walking to the mailbox or doing housework don’t contribute much to weight loss. Even an hour of cardio may only boost your daily burn by around 20%.
So, what’s the best way to burn more calories? Build muscle by lifting weights.
Let’s break it down with an example:
- Say your BMR is 1,000 calories per day.
- You consume 1,500 calories daily (which is low for most people) and do an hour of spin class.
- Factoring in digestion and exercise, your total daily burn might be around 1,300 calories.
- Since you’re eating more than you burn, you’ll slowly gain weight—about a pound every 18 days.
Now, let’s say you increase your muscle mass, bumping your BMR up to 1,200 calories per day. Keeping everything else the same, your total burn would increase, and now you’d be in a slight calorie deficit, leading to weight loss.
Your metabolism gets a post-exercise boost when your muscles recover, but the real magic happens outside the gym—just living your daily life with more muscle means you’re burning more calories all the time.
The first step to sustainable fat loss? Strength training. The second step? Cut out sugar.
At BayWay CrossFit, we help our members build muscle, improve their metabolism, and create long-term health habits. If you’re looking for the best CrossFit gym in Baytown, or need guidance from a proven personal trainer in Baytown, or just want to find fitness classes to add to your workout routine, we’ve got you covered.
Ready to take control of your fitness? Book a FREE INTRO and let’s get started with one of the best gyms in Baytown!
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