I have written in the past that 1 pound of fat equals 3500 calories.  I recently told you that by just reducing 500 calories per day for 1 week will allow you to drop 1 pound of body weight (500 x 7=3500 calories or 1 pound).

Metabolism is the physical and chemical processes by which your body builds and maintains itself (anabolism).   It is also the process in which your body breaks down substances in order to produce energy.  You Metabolism is constantly changing and dynamic.  If you have a lean body weight your metabolism is slower.  Sports Supplementation can affect your metabolic rate.  It is extremely important to fully understand how supplementation can affect your metabolism prior to taking supplements.

To fully understand how calorie reduction can affect your metabolism you must understand how an increase is training intensity can increase or decrease your metabolism.  There are many ways exercise can affect your metabolism.  If you are doing a High Intensity Interval Training program (HIIT), you can maintain a higher metabolism well after your workout is complete.  If you are doing a less intense, longer, and sustained training session then your metabolism will increase for the duration of the workout.  However, your metabolism will return to normal shortly after your session is complete.  Choosing the right training program that is in line with your goals is essential.  If you are training to increase your metabolism for many hours after your session you may prevent muscle growth.

This is why it is so important to set realistic weight loss or muscle growth goals.  This sounds much easier than it is to complete.  In a society that leans towards a ‘quick fix’ solution, being realistic about how the body actually burns fat is paramount.  Losing 1 to 2 pounds per week is an reasonable goal for those wishing to lose fat.  A gain of 1-2 pounds of muscle per month is about as much as those wishing to build muscle will be able to reach.

There are far too many corporate diet programs, reality television shows, and aggressive product marketing that interfere with how your body actually works.  Most of those who fall for the ‘quick fix’ diet fads and muscle building products find themselves either falling ill, gaining fat instead of losing, and frustrated in the end.  Once you understand what your body is capable of then setting realistic goals and expectations will allow you to keep seeing results for the long-term.

Fat loss, like gaining muscle, is a journey.  Your body will change on its own schedule as long as you provide it with what it needs to do what you want it to do.  But even small calorie restrictions each day will have long term positive effects on your health.  So take an honest look at your eating habits and find something that you know is not beneficial to your goals and cut it out.  Just 1 food item can make a world of difference.