Metabolism

Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Calories in food and drink are combined with oxygen to release energy that your body needs to function, thanks to this biochemical process. At a state of rest your body still needs energy for functions such as: Breathing, circulation of blood, adjusting hormone levels and for the growth and repair of cells. Although metabolism is linked to weight, it is rare that a slow metabolism is the cause of excess weight gain. Whilst it is true your metabolism influences your body's basic needs, how much exercise and what you eat and drink will ultimately determine your weight. 

Factors that determine your metabolism are your body size and composition (people with more muscle burn more calories), your gender - men usually have more muscle than women and so burn more calories and lastly your age - as you get older muscle decreases and fat determines your weight more which slows down calories burnt. Also food processing and physical activity are two more main factors that affect metabolism. 

Tip: Metabolism is a natural process and your body does its best to regulate it to meet your needs so "blaming your metabolism" is not true. Weight gain could be a combination of genetic makeup, hormones, diet, physical activity, stress and sleep. So just stay active and eat a healthy diet and try to minimise stress.