Jill Grimes, MD, shares her opinions about all things medical, breaking down complex clinical issues into common sense explanations. Please use this information to fuel discussions with your family physician and other health care providers! *However, this blog is for informational purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice, as you (the reader) hereby agree that there is no physician-patient relationship.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
My Metabolism STINKS!
Do you feel like no matter what you do, you simply cannot lose weight? Many people ask there doctors what is wrong with their metabolism. Physicians run many thyroid function tests trying to find an answer for their patients, but the majority of the time, those tests are normal. In addition, even if your thyroid is sluggish, starting on thyroid medication does not guarantee that the pounds will melt off!
There are certainly other factors that go into your metabolism. Co-factors such as vitamin B12 and adrenally produced steroids play a role as well. However, most of the time, our science is not advanced enough to detect subtle changes. We cannot give people thyroid medications to "speed things up" unless they are truly low thyroid, because excess thyroid causes medical problems such as irregular heart rhythms, osteoporosis, and anxiety.
So what can you do? There are only two behavioral modifications that YOU can do to help speed up your metabolism. Ready? Here they are:
1. NO SKIPPED MEALS, especially BREAKFAST (because you have already "fasted" while you slept.)
2. DAILY AEROBIC ACTIVITY (walking, biking, hiking, dancing- anything that raises your heart rate)
Additionally, realize that it has been proven that when we record or recall our food intake and exercise, people always UNDERestimate what we eat, and OVERestimate our exercise. Recognize that you (like all of us) have that bias! If you are frustrated with your metabolism, try a different approach. Obviously, what you are doing now is not working, right? So talk with your doctor, your registered dietician, and/or your personal trainer and find ways to step it up a notch!
BOTTOM LINE: Naturally speed up your metabolism by making sure you don't skip meals and you DO increase your daily exercise!
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