Controlling metabolism

I thought I'd do a wee update on how I control my metabolism.

First of all, a few facts
- Your metabolism is adjustable
- Your metabolism is subject to age
- Exercise increases your metabolism
- A high calorie diet will increase your metabolism
- Subsequently, a low calorie diet decreases your metabolism
- You need to eat 7700 kcal to put on a single kilo of weight, and vice versa to lose a kilo.

Many modern diets (Atkins, Fedon Lindbergh, Dukan) are usually high protein, low carbohydrate diets. As your metabolism upregulates in response to loads of carbohydrates, what these diets basically do is starve your body of carbohydrates, which slows your metabolism, which, when you think about it, isn't that good for a dieter. Usually when your body beta-oxidises fatty acids (your fat stores) it turns them into acetyl-CoA, a substrate in the Krebs cycle, which is the main metabolic cycle for producing ATP (Energy). However, if your body is starved sufficiently, your liver won't use the acetyl-CoA for energy; it will produce ketone bodies, which is why a lot of dieters have the characteristic ketone breath. 


Athletes diet to keep fat off in a much more effective, and I would say a much more comfortable, manner. First of all, carbohydrates are kept high - pasta, potatoes, noodles, porridge are all good, but white cane sugar is a no-no. For added effect, go for wholemeal pasta and brown rice. However, reducing sugar intake is essential; the stone-age human didn't have access to refined cane sugar, and it's not a part of our "natural" diet. As mentioned in previous blogs, we have only found a single tooth from the stone age with a cavity, and they didn't brush their teeth. Regardless, it's become a part of our diet - there's sugar in anything from bread (depends on the country) to ketchup, so removing it completely is impossible. Restricting yourself to a little bit each week is a better way, in my opinion. For example, I have something called "lørdagsgodt," which in Norwegian means "Saturday sweets," which is a Norwegian tradition, which basically means one sugary meal/snack a week. I'm not too strict on this, as some weeks I end up having two or three, and some none.

I usually have a high carbohydrate breakfast with some protein to set me up for the day. I then try to push 2000 calories plus protein before then heading to the gym. To ensure I don't yo-yo my blood sugar too much I tend to eat several smaller meals. If you're trying to lose weight or keep weight off, you should be on a rowing machine, a bike, running or be swimming, in my opinion. A friend I lift weights with recently started to train for a half marathon and the kilos are falling off! He's looking more lean and cut for each week, though his problem is that he then needs to increase his calorie intake as to not affect his weight lifting. You get a double whammy effect through exercise and a high calorie diet.

In the end, I don't believe restricting your carbohydrate intake and not exercising is the way to diet in the long run. Most studies show that these diets are highly effective at the start, which they naturally are as you're crashdieting (and also losing muscle; your body will burn anything it can to keep you alive), but then lose their effect after a while (your metabolism slows).

For those who are wondering what my BMI is, I'd like to say that BMI wasn't designed for people who work out 6 times a week. However, my BMI (height 180 and 74kg weight) is 22.8. It used to be around 19 until I started working out, and I've not put on any fat - I actually have to keep working out otherwise I lose weight! To any dieters out there that are inspired by this to exercise more and eat comfortably; good luck!