metabolism

[rendermatt]

I read in a magazine-type handout at my gym that "excess weight is rarely due to metabolism." This is talking about when people say they are overweight because they have a "low" metabolism. Can anyone confirm this? I'm especially wondering if this is true for underweight/hardgainers.

 

I'm not sure but I think the genetics/metabolism reason is an excuse for both groups. I think diet and exercise habits are learned "genetically" - from parent to child - and therefore innapropriate calorie intake/nutrition/calorie burning is passed down and problems show up in "genetic" patterns. I'm part of a family that says theyre underweight and frequently uses the excuse, 'oh, I just have a super high metabolism.' But the truth is, at least my parents and I, are just horrible at grocery shopping, cooking, keeping up a stocked pantry etc. Dinner is not planned whatsoever, pantry and food supplies seem to always be empty, and before I got into bodybuilding and eating right, I sucked at grocery shopping. I hated going to the grocery store because every time I went I would have no idea what to get, and ended up getting very little, so I needed to come back in a few days. Just a few thoughts..

[PMvegan]

I'm not a physiology expert, but I know that people's metabolisms can vary greatly, whether due to diet or genetics. This shouldn't be used as an excuse, it's merely a fact.

 

I know what you mean about grocery shopping. Here's a suggestion: figure out what you like to eat, that's healthy. Then write it down so when you go to the store you can buy a bunch of it. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail-- or somesuch.

[Im Your Man]

I'm sure metabolism is the major factor, though not the only one, for being skinny or fat. There's 3 morphology and they have their own speed of metabolism, ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. I defy the author of the article in the magazine you talk about to say that endomorph are the same than mesomorph and burn calories the same way !! Endomorph move slowly, have loose skin. Ectos are always have nervous movements and burn almost infinite amount of calories. This is genetic.

 

There's another genetic factor, and you're right on this, it's the food behavior of the mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding. An experiment on 800 female rats clearly showed that the group of rats fed with healthy foods gave birth to baby rats with normal food behavior, while the group fed with cookies, chips; fats and sugar gave birth to babies that were eating too much and when offered different foods they were always choosing for the less healthy.

 

Finally, of course the level of physical activity and food behavior is also an important factor to determine obesity.

[Katabatic]

I read in a magazine-type handout at my gym that "excess weight is rarely due to metabolism."

 

Seems right to me. Junk food and lack of exercise are the problem, not "low metabolism"!

 

The thing is, it doesn't matter!!! You've got what you've got, so either eat less or eat more to gain the result you seek

[Marcina]

It's funny cuz I tend to burn fat very easily but I don't have much of an appetite. Sometimes I do. If I'm doing lots of weight training or if it's that time of the month, I'm always hungry. Most of the time though I just don't feel hungry. My stomach doesn't send that signal out most of the time and I sometimes forget to eat. I have a small appetite and tend to stop eating a little too soon because I no longer feel like eating.

[sydneyvegan]

I think Metabolism definitely plays a part.

I have a slow metabolism, so I can maintain my weight whilst training 5 times a week and playing sport on about 2000 calories a day.

There are other people on this forum, that would need to consume around 6000 calories to do the same.

I asked my doctor about it and he basically said I will always have to watch what I eat. It's pretty much genetics, I'm one of the people who has been designed to survive through periods of food shortage etc.

To put it another way, I can put on weight if I leave the fridge door open too long

[Fallen_Horse]

I'm throwing out 10% as a value for metabolism. I would say total genetics is 25%, 25% is diet, and 50% is training...

[Warrior]

I definately think metabolism is a big factor in weight. I know a guy who lives on junk food does no excercise and is addicted to coke (the drink) and he's actually underweight.