Hello sisters,
Metabolism!! We all blame it at one time or another for our lack of control over our weight. It is the culprit that makes us feel powerless over our bodies and the way it looks and acts as we age. It is no coincidence that as we age our muscles atrophy. Hmmm...? Could that be the reason our metabolism slows (among some other reasons!!)... Come to find out in my readings that YES, there is a connection!! But it's reversed to what we have been lead to believe.

The more muscle you have the more calories you burn regardless of how active you are, how old you are, etc. It's live tissue, and it's there working for you and burning calories 24 hours a day - each and every day and night ;-)! This is great news since it gives us a great reason to go out and add resistance/strength training to our routines.
 
Some factors affecting metabolism in order of greatest importance according to some of my findings:

* Muscle tissue - burns calories 24/7.. The more you have the more your burn!! The faster your metabolism...
* Meal frequency (the longer you go between meals, the more your metabolism slows down to conserve energy)
* Activity level (important but doesn't make any difference if you don't match your eating to your expenditure)
* Food choices (ex. low-fat diets tend to result in poor hormone production which leads to a slower metabolism. But remember, there are good fats and bad fats as with carbs!!)
* Hydration (over 70% of bodily functions take place in water - not enough water causes all your systems to slow down and unnecessary stress). Don't drink water just because you thirst. Intentionally ingest what your body needs! 64oz a day is a good start!
* Genetics (some people have higher metabolisms than others - you can't change genetics but you can still adapt, adjust, and improvise! No excuses!! )
* Hormone production and function (think you have a slow thyroid? it's not likely - before you go blame it on the thyroid first stabilize your blood sugar and throw in some progressive exercise 2-3 times each week)
* Stress (stress also can slow metabolism by placing extra stress and strain on numerous systems, plus, many people tend to overeat when "stressed out". Also the hormone Cortisol will be over secreted which promotes fat storage!!)
 
Why does our metabolism slow down?
How many times have you heard someone say, "as soon as you hit 30/40 your metabolism slows down"? Maybe you've said it. Come to find out in my research, I found that our metabolism does NOT slow down significantly due to aging but DOES due to a lack of muscle. And, you don't lose muscle quickly due to aging either but due to a decrease or lack of physical stress!! ah ha!!
Who would have guessed!!?? So we had it reversed. This is why I call resistance training "the secret of youth". You can add to that, "the secret of weight management!!" and the "secret to glucose management" ;-)))

So in summary, the major cause of a slowing metabolism is three fold...

* You lose muscle due to the lack of physical "stress" (resistance) as you age.. (if you don't use muscle, you'll lose them!)
* Your body cannibalizes muscle when it needs energy. Energy you aren't feeding it because you are "dieting" and skipping meals....
* Your activity levels tend to decrease as you get older
 
I guess my desire with this blog and in researching all this information is to encourage and help other women get excited about weight training. The fact that science supports it as one of the most viable and needed forms of exercise for our bodies, especially as we age, AND that the by product, better management of our diabetes along with tone lean muscles, are good enough reasons for a life long "addiction" to this form of exercise for me. ;-))
~ Has anyone else out there had good results from a consistent resistance training routine over the years?
~ What keep some of you from incorporating this form of exercise into your routine? Let us address these "obstacles"...
Have a blessed week!
Bianca