The Secret, the Facts, the Problem

                                "The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine”

                                                                                             ~ Mike Murdock

Happy New Year!

This time of year starts with much excitement…new changes…new plans…new beginnings. For some this will be business plans, for others it may be relationships.  But for most, it will be the ever elusive struggle for health.

Whether the goal is health (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar), cardio fitness, weight gain, or weight loss…there are three things that we must consider. These things will be presented in a three part series.

The Secret, the Facts, the Problem…

The Secret:

Metabolism….Human metabolism represents the sum total of the living cells’ energy producing and energy utilizing reactions.  Energy balance can be thought of as the combined processes of caloric intake, caloric storing, and caloric expenditure.

Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the term used to describe how much energy is used (or how many calories are burned) by an individual during a 24-hour period. TDEE is made up of three primary components:

Resting metabolism rate (RMR)

RMR accounts for 60-75% of all calorie-burning processes is the amount of energy required to keep homeostatic processes (the regulation of organ systems and body temperature) performing efficiently. The RMR is largely reflective of lean body mass...the greater the muscle mass...the greater the caloric expenditure...AT REST!

Thermic effect of physical activity (TEPA)

TEPA accounts for 15-30% of daily calorie burn depending on an individual’s activity level, which includes structured exercise as well as non-structured activity such as shivering and fidgeting.  Most recently, this non-structured movement has been coined the name NEAT, for non-exercise activity thermogenesis (Levine et al., 2005).

Thermic effect of feeding (TEF)

TEF is the energy required for the digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism and storage of consumed food. It accounts for approximately 10% of daily calorie burn.

The secret is you’re only as good as your metabolism. So create a body (increase LBM) that works for you, rather than you having to work for your body!

The Facts... (To be continued)