How to measure your metabolism
What even is your metabolism? And how can I measure it?
[ Read time: 4 min ]
What even is your metabolism? And how can I measure it?
Simply put, your metabolism is all the chemical processes that occur within your body to produce energy and keep you alive. These processes include things like digestion, breathing, circulating blood, etc…
When we talk about how we can measure this energy for daily living we use the term calories.
Calories/energy that we put into our body might be food, drinks, condiments, etc.
Calories/energy that we take out of our body would be all the processes mentioned above (digestion etc) along with any other activity (walking, sitting, standing etc) or planned bouts of exercise.
For someone looking to lose or gain weight, a deeper understanding of their metabolism might be something important to consider.
Our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the common way that is used to track the number of calories an individual would use at complete rest, as in they are locked away in a hospital bed and only require the absolute minimum amount of energy in to survive.
Fortunately, most of us are not in this position, so using BMR to calculate the number of calories (represented as food) we need to consume to live probably isn’t the best approach.
For those of you that are either looking to lose or put on weight, there is no 100% guaranteed way of understanding the exact amount of food you need to eat to achieve those goals, mostly due to large fluctuations in our daily lives.
Luckily enough, there are a few steps you can take to at least get a pretty good idea of what you need to achieve either of those goals: Start to understand what goes in, and out of your body. How?
Tracking the IN:
Track the food you eat, yep, all of it.
This includes all those late-night trips to the fridge, if you are truly invested in this goal of yours, you will do what it takes to make a note of what is going into your body. Your trainer will not judge any choice you make, more information will help guide the decisions that the two of you can make.
Tracking could be as extreme as loading all the foods you eat onto an application like “My Fitness Pal” or it could be as simple as taking pictures of your meals and keeping them in a “food diary” folder on your phone
Tracking the OUT:
Track your activity to the best of your ability.
Whilst it is true that you cannot “outwork a poor diet” it is still critically important to understand the amount of exercise that you are doing day today. Now when we talk about “exercise” this involves not just the planned sessions you do with your trainers, getting an understanding of what happens the other 23 hours of your day, on the other days of the week is MORE important.
This tracking might include monitoring your daily step counts, on your smartphone, or watch. It could involve logging all those short training sessions you do at home with your friends and family.
Once we start the process of understanding our IN’S and OUT’S a little better (they don’t have to be super accurate) there is one final step, one that can often be quite daunting to some.
“what gets measured, gets managed”.
We need to track progress.
To measure weight loss or gain change progress, we need to measure our weight, and the best and most reliable way to do so is on a set of scales.
I stress, do your best to be as objective an emotionally unattached to the number that is displayed each morning. The number is not an indication of your overall level of health, your worth as a person, or anything of that nature. It is merely the amount that you weigh.
Keeping a consistent time and place that you weigh yourself is super important. The same set of scales, at the same time of day, (preferably early morning before you have eaten breakfast and lunch), in the same spot on the floor needs to occur. Even the slightest change in the angle of how the scales are positioned can influence the reading displayed, so make sure you try a few different stable locations before you begin the measurement process.
Tracking the ins, outs and our progress might seem like a tedious task, and to be honest, it might be for a little while. I need you to know that we won’t be doing all of this forever, two weeks is plenty of time to get a good understanding of what your daily intake of calories might be.
But remember, you aren’t changing anything, you already eat food and exercise, two weeks of just making a quick note here and there or taking a picture of your food can provide you and your trainer with a massive amount of information that will accelerate you towards your goals in ways you can’t even imagine.
Some final notes;
Metabolism is just the amount of energy that you use in your daily life.
We can get pretty close to measuring the amount of energy by taking note of the things we are already doing.
I like to think of it as both of us are trying to put a jigsaw together, and we are in the dark.
Your trainer is great at putting the pieces together, but unless you shine the light on the puzzle and show us what’s going on, its probably going to take a much longer time to finish that puzzle.
The more information we have about your life outside our sessions, the better chance of success. Not only in the short term, but for those long term sustainable results you have always dreamed of.
Help us to help you.
If you’re looking for a bit more guidance on how you can train to suit your body type, give us a call on 1800 446 464 or email us at hello@getgoingpt.com.au – Our personal training coach are more than happy to help!
Looking for womens personal training? Contact us today!
More Articles for you
Welcome to Get Going!
This is where you’ll find all our regular blogs to keep you informed with...
Why motivation is bull****
"Build, Discipline and you can achieve anything".
Be your own ultimate ninja warrior
Wanting to get hella fit is great. But, as Mr Miyagi says, “First learn to...
How to super-charge your mental health
PTSD & Trauma: By moving your body frequently, you build habits that help...
Balancing your relationship and diet – it can be done
When work is running your life and you struggle to find time for yourself,...
5 reasons carbs rule
There’s this Urban Legend, that if you eat carbohydrates, then you’ll gain...
9 simple ways a personal trainer Trumps Kayla Itsines
Personal Trainers guarantee results and work around you.
Water and fat loss are couplegoals
This isn’t like that chocolate bar that you’ll DIE if you don’t eat. You...
Winter is coming! Why you should exercise this winter
The days are getting shorter and it’s harder to find the motivation to head...
What you need to know about taking pre-workout
It makes your efforts look weak and unworthy, but it might just be that...
Why the happiest people are the ones who exercise daily!
The problem with exercise is that asides from weight loss, the benefits it...
8 reasons why you should let chocolate back into your life!
Dark Chocolate is good for you, and not just in an...
6 Ways You Didn't Know Sleep Helps Weight Loss
Sleep is like Rob Schneider in an Adam Sandler movie. Most people tend to...
5 traits of people that can achieve anything
How do some people just seem have the ability to stick to and achieve every...
The 3 traits of a perfect Muay Thai attack
The three fundamental components of a perfect attack are posture, core...
10 must try secrets to keep you accountable to your goals!
When motivation is low and you don’t have any accountability, it’s easy to...
10 weird & effortless ways to stick to your food plan
Diet plans are HARD. If they were easy, they wouldn’t have the word DIE in...
The go-getters guide to waking up
If you wake up 30 minutes early, you can kickstart your life and transform...
Herbalife and Isagenix exposed
You’ve heard of Herbalife and Isagenix. You probably know someone who uses...
Rip garlic bread
You feel me on this one. It’s tough to restrain yourself when you’re out to...
Inspiration always beats motivation
Sometimes things feel hard and sometimes things just feel so effortless, and...
5 smart swaps for health
I want you to picture yourself sitting or lying under a fruit tree. There’s...
Stop eating so little
‘Eat less, move more’
Why salty should be a personality trait (and not on your plate)
The average adult recommended sodium (salt) intake is 2400 milligrams...
5 workouts you can do at home in under 10 minutes
We all know how busy life can get
How your body type affects your results
Being aware of your body type can be a very useful tool. It can help to...
5 ways to boost your metabolism
Firing up your metabolism can be quick, simple and easy.
How health and fitness can change your life…
Are you overweight, always tired, and generally unhealthy and unhappy? It...
7 reasons to drink water!
Who would’ve thought this humble element can produce amazing results?
The art of goal setting
Goal setting varies from individual to individual. We cannot just keep...
Martial arts training can change your life
Martial Arts is more than just the punching and kicking that we see in Kung...
Fasted cardio for fat loss
The one cardio training that gets discussed the most is fasted cardio training.
5 reasons to use a food prep company
Food prep companies aren’t a permanent fix! But sometimes they can just get...
Protein pancakes
Not everyone loves breakfast, try spicing up your breakfast with these...
Ten reasons you should lift weights
It seems that a woman’s biggest concern about lifting weights, is of...
How much does alcohol really affect fat loss?
We all know alcohol isn’t good for us, our heads tell us that the next...
The truth about coffee and fat loss
FINALLY Something you love, can do your body some good! Coffee (when drunk...
5 secret essentials to successful goal setting
You know how to set goals, that’s obvious enough. But, what if I told you...
7 benefits of sleep you probably don’t know about!
Remember when you were little and used to HATE going to bed early? Summer...
Green is the new black – why you should add green tea to your life now
Green tea is not just for older people and hipsters. It’s something that...
The truth about protein bars
Getting the motivation to exercise is wonderful, you feel superhuman after...
Stressing about your weight? Give yourself a break
"STOP STRESSING ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT SO MUCH".
The booze counts too
When we eat food, we access energy in it, this energy is in carbs, fats and...
Time to make better takeaway choices
There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with occasionally enjoying a takeaway...
Diet myths you shouldn’t believe
You may have heard of them all, you may have heard of only a few, you’ve...
Do you really need willpower?
Jimmy likes donuts. He thinks that in his weight loss endeavours, cutting...
Whose exercise is it anyway
Welcome to “Whose Exercise is it Anyway?” The show where all the exercises...
Why liquid calories may be holding you back
That’s right, it’s not just food which contains Calories (energy), many...
Dietary fats
Some people avoid it like the plague, thinking eating fat is a one-stop shop...
Carbs, carbs, carbs
Some people swear by them, some people claim they’re the worst thing you...
Your guide to in-home isolation training
I’d like to start by thanking you for making it this far, anyone willing to...
The power of 21 day challenges
New Year, New Me. You’ve told yourself this at the start of every single...
Healthy or unhealthy food?
No such thing as healthy or unhealthy food: why you need to start looking at...
Hunger vs Appetite
HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR HUNGER AND YOUR APPETITE
Festive season troubleshooting
The festive season is fun, we get to catch up with friends and family, let...
Is dairy good for me?
It not only provides us with a rich source of calcium (“drink that milk for...
How Can You Have a Healthy Relationship With Food?
First of all, what is a healthy relationship with food? A healthy...
Winter nutrition with get going
Keeping up a healthy lifestyle when the weather turns cold and wet is more...
Isagenix And Herbalife uncovered
Uncovering the truth about Isagenix and Herbalife.
Top 4 fitness myths debunked
In a world where anyone with an Instagram account and a ‘fit’ body can...
6 tips to avoid emotional eating
Emotional Eating – The causes, the confusion and 6 tips to avoid emotional...
6 unexpected changes that happen when you get fit
The fitness journey is a constant battle between your excuses and your...
