Sunday, May 16, 2010

Important Stuff: Metabolism Explained in Simple Form

Welcome new Followers: SeeGirlRun, Pat, and Ewa

Week in Review: 5/8-5/16

Total: Ran 4 days
17.4 miles total
2:31:36 total time; average pace per mile 8:42

8 days since my last post. I have not had the motivation to run or to blog. They're connected, in that when I do run, I don't have any outstanding runs to comment about. They're just runs. Period. They're runs that involve me forcing myself to get into my running clothes and go run. They're runs that I know will initially start with my troublesome left knee freaking out and perhaps giving me a twinge or two of pain, and definitely the "not quite right" feeling, followed by it behaving shortly thereafter for the rest of my run. Weird thing is that my knee bothers me the most whenever I'm lying in bed or standing or sitting still. It's "happiest" whenever I'm running. I said I was joining the gym at the physical therapy place I was going to. Well, I did but I didn't. They have all my paperwork, and my membership begins the first time I go there. The first time hasn't happened yet. It needs to happen. It needs to happen because 1 of 2 things will result. Either the exercises will strengthen my left leg and knee to the point where I can run "normal" again; or the exercises will not work and I'll go back to my doctor and insist on having a MRI on my left knee. I know I have crepitus , but I also feel like there's more to my knee problems than that. Joining the gym I found out yesterday will have an additional benefit. I attended a Weight Watchers staff meeting (I work for them part time) yesterday and learned about metabolism. I'm going to share with you the valuable information that was given to me. "Simply put, metabolism is the number of calories the body burns on a daily basis. The three components of metabolism are: 1) Resting Metabolism,
2) Physical Activity, and 3) Calories Used to Process Food.
1) Resting Metabolism consists of the calories used to keep the body going. Resting Metabolism is the biggest part of total metabolism; it burns between two-thirds to three-quarters of the calories your body uses in a day. The "engine" of Resting Metabolism is lean body mass, which includes muscles, bone mass, blood, organs-everything except the fat. Lean body mass is the biggest determinant of how many calories your Resting Metabolism requires. 2) Physical Activity: Calories burned in physical activity are the most variable part of metabolism, and also the component over which you have the most control. Physical activity is great, affecting more than one segment of metabolism. Resistance training can increase lean mass which increases Resting Metabolism. So, me joining the gym and doing resistance training for my leg(s) and knee has added benefits in that it should increase my lean muscle mass, which in turn increases Resting Metabolism, and Resting Metabolism burns between two-thirds and three-quarters of the calories your/my body uses in a day." A win-win situation for me, and those of you already using resistance training. Ladies, it's ok to hate us men. "Men have more lean mass and less body fat than women. So men have more lean body tissue. Therefore, at rest, men need more calories to keep that lean body tissue going, and we burn more calories in the course of the day. 3) Calories Used to Process Food accounts for 10% of the calories we burn everyday. Speaking of calories, studies have shown that people who eat a light breakfast weigh less than those people who skip breakfast or eat a heavy breakfast." P.S. I n my latest effort to eat/drink more healthy, I haven't had any diet soda (or any soda at all) since May 1st. Thank-you Jill for motivating me to make this healthy choice.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

High metabolism is one of the tools to reduce weight in short time span. These activities flame the calories and help to reduce caloric ingestion. Metabolism helps to resist the protein content in turn maintains the rate of cholesterol level in the body and nourish the muscle.

Anonymous said...

Great job!!! You will definitely see a difference and after a while you won't even miss it...I promise!!! Glad to have been a motivation :)

Leelee said...

Great post...I recently joined the Y and had a hard time sticking my big toe in...my daughter forced me to go (beware of Body Pump)...I saw a nutritionist a few weeks ago...women, especially over forty, need at least two days of strength training, basically for the issues you bring up....I have been sore, but can already tell a difference...

btw, I also gave up soft drinks about two weeks ago...Skittles and bread too....really watching sucrose and starches...I lost 5 pounds while eating plenty...has made running a lot easier...still not very fast....

Anne said...

Get yourself to that gym...you won't regret it :)

Good job giving up soft drinks!

NY Wolve said...

I see you are running the Fairfield Half. That is a great race and one of my favorites. I ma signed up, and hope to do again this year!

Pining for Pinterest said...

Great job on no soda :)

SeeGirlRun said...

I gave up diet coke along time ago and couldn't bring myself to drink the full HFC stuff because of the calories. Instead, I'll buy that expensive POM juice and add 1/4 c. to a can of generic carbonated water. It's not nearly as sweet tasting but it is refreshing and heatly too!

Thanks for the info on metabolism. I really need to add strength training to my workouts. Bleh. Oh well.

And you? Get to the gym so your knee gets better!!!

Laura

Psyche said...

hey, Rick! Great job on dumping the soda. I have to say your comment about the knee feeling better when you run made me chuckle. I totally get that! I always seem to get stuff that just doesn't make sense. Drives me crazy trying to figure it out- but I learned to pay attention to my intuition on this stuff.

I have faith you'll figure it out:)

Unknown said...

Sorry about the knee pain and not having the motivation to run, but a few weeks back you yelled at me to stop whining about running in the rain and now it is my turn to yell at you... (lovingly of course) Stop your whining and get your butt to the gym!! No motivation, huh? I just ran a half marathon even though my husband had food poisoning, my two year old had a MAJOR ear infection, my 5 year old had a bad cold, and my 7 month old had a fever. No excuses!! Get out there and run! Ok, I'm done. :)
Great job giving up the pop...I did it during lent and it was hard to do, but it didn't take long for me not to miss it. Keep doing your best!

Ewa said...

I haven't had a soda in years and I used to drink a lot of it so I know quitting soda can be done. Good job on the first step.
Yeah, you guys burn more calories without even lifting a finger. That is just plain unfair. :)
There has been a flood of studies recently showing amazing benefits of pumping iron so go to that gym. The claims are that it not only makes you stronger and leaner but also smarter. I know I could use some smarts so I do strength training.
Have a good week.

Lindsay said...

psssh. you can keep your higher calories and easier ability to stay lean. i'm soda free for 7 years! :)

ok. i'd rather eat more and be leaner too, but congrats on the no-soda!

i have been saying that i need to/will get back into strength training... guess i am as good as you at actually going to the gym. it's just so hard...

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

Hmmm! I've been trying to talk myself into giving up my diet drinks again and I came across your post. You and the other comments are making me feel I really should do it again. It's so hard! Haven't I given up enough already??

Julie said...

Hi Rick,
I am glad to hear that even if your knee may be bugging you from time to time that it is still the most happy when you are running:) That my friend is great news:)

I wish that I could be as motivated as you...I just can't give up the soda yet! Someday I wil try to be as hard core as you!! Take care Rick!

Jill said...

Thanks, Rick, for this great post! I fear if I gave up my Diet Coke, I'd pass out at 2:00. Hehe. I wish I slept better. I know when I'm heavy into marathon training, I wt train 3 times/week and it makes a huge difference in my performance. I hate it, but I do it. Happy Tuesday, Rick!!

Jill said...

And btw, that last comment was from Yvette!! :)

Unknown said...

Baby joggers are great for resistance training - cardio and core strength at the same time.

I'm like you with writing. Sometimes, I get great ideas and, then, forget about them when I sit down to write. I'm going to start keeping a list of topics.

Unknown said...

Rockin Rickster,
Kinder teacher is humbled by your metabol-wisdom!
Great job giving up the soda, you'll be healthier for it!

RunKathyRun said...

You're doing the right things; it will all come together!

Unknown said...

Good job there...Looking forward for your next update and great run.

keens