Metabolism and Energy Defined

The relationship between metabolism and energy when it comes to weight loss throws many people for a loop. What many people don’t realize is that these two entities are reliant on each other when it comes to the proper functioning of the human body. Although they are two distinct entities metabolism and energy are also one in the same when it comes to the way your body’s engine powers itself. Energy in the form of calories is the raw fuel the body needs and metabolism is the engine that burns the fuel to produce the energy that allows us to live.  

There is a catch to this and this is what fuels the obesity epidemic that faces us today. Just like you can’t overfill the gas tank on a car, if you overfill the gas tank for your body, eating too many calories, the body simply stores these extra calories away as fat for use on a future day. If that day never comes then you begin to develop a weight problem that can lead to increased health risks. 

The activity of the functioning of the cells of the body is what is referred to as metabolism. The metabolism of each individual is different and is dependent upon many things including age, weight, hormone changes, activity levels and diet. The metabolism and energy is normally based on caloric intake and when a calorie deficit occurs the body will actually begin to metabolize stored fat. 

The energy requirement of a completely sedentary and inactive individual is very low. It only takes about 1500 calories per day to stay in shape if all one does is sit on the couch and watch TV. Unfortunately most Americans easily consume more calories then that daily and with the relatively sedentary life-styles many of them lead this leads to problems with fat storage and weight gain. If you compare the caloric needs of a marathon runner with that of a sedentary person you can see how big the caloric gap is. During a marathon a runner will burn in excess of 6000 calories. Now that’s a lot of food with no weight gain. The average healthy person needs a caloric intake somewhere in between, with their activity level and diet maintaining the right amount of calories to maintain their ideal weight.