Now - October 2003

Does your metabolism make you fat?

As well as our eating and exercise habits, it’s our metabolism that affects how easily we gain or lose weight. Metabolism, or resting metabolic rate (RMR), is the rate at which we burn calories to fuel our everyday life. It’s dependent on a range of things, such as age, weight and genetics. While some people may fine it easy to burn calories, others can struggle…Personal trainer Laura Williams of London’s Future Perfect (www.fperfect.com), has the following advice: “Kick-start your metabolism by eating breakfast. Eat more protein, as this requires more energy to digest and is less likely to be stored as fat. Cut down on alcohol – if you drink regularly your body spends more time burning alcohol than fat. And train with weights – this creates muscle mass which burns more calories than fat”.

How do you rate?
Do our quick quiz, devised by personal trainer Laura Williams, to see how fast your metabolism is. Add up the scores in brackets for the statements that best describe you, then look at the summaries below to see how you score.

Are you quite muscular? Yes (0) In Places! (1) no (2)
Do you have to watch your weight? Yes (2) Sometimes (1) Not at all (0)
What build do your parents have? Both have to watch their weight (2) One is very lean without having to try (1) One of both used to be slim, but this changed over the years (0)
How does what you eat compare to your friends? You eat more and are overweight (2) You eat more and are slim (0) You eat less and are overweight (3) You have to eat less to remain slim (2) You eat the same and are overweight (2) You eat the same and are slim (1)
How often do you eat and how much? Several big meals a day with no snacking in between (2) Small amounts of food every few hours (0) Several big meals a day with some snacking in between (1)
Have you ever dieted? No, I’ve never had the need (0) Yes, a few sensible diets (1) Yes, I’ve been a yo-yo dieter, a fad dieter and have dropped to below 1, 000 cals a day or skipped meals to lose weight (2)
Does your weight fluctuate? I only have to look at food to pile it on (2) I put on weight after extended blow-outs such as holidays (1) It always stays the same (0)
What happens if you don’t do regular exercise? Your weight stays the same (0) You put on weight very quickly (2) Your weight increases slowly (1)
Which of these best describes your personality? A fidgeter who can’t sit still (0) On a level (1) You’d love to be more active, but are lacking the energy to do it (2)

Four or less: You lucky thing. Perhaps you’ve inherited a high metabolism, combined with beneficial lifestyle factors such as grazing and exercising. It’s thought that we have a number of genes directly related to our weight which affect our metabolism, fat-storing ability and even our natural activity levels. But remember, metabolism slows down with age so you might not always be this fortunate.

Between five and 13: It sounds like you have an average metabolic rate, which means you have to keep an eye on your weight, but you don’t need to watch it like a hawk. Make sure you keep blow-outs to a minimum, keep to your exercise routine and get plenty of regular sleep, which affects metabolic processes such as digestion and storing of carbohydrates.

Fourteen or more: Your metabolism seems to be slow, which means that piling on the pounds comes far more easily to you than shedding them. Chances are that one or both of your parents have the same problem. But don’t worry – studies have shown that by changing your habits through healthy eating, watching your calorie intake and exercising regularly, you can work at increasing your metabolism.

To book a session or to find out how Laura can help you get into shape, email her at laura@laurawilliamsonline.co.uk

Or call her on 07712 001525.