The 100-Calorie Secret - Never Diet Again!

Have a friend or family member than can eat a pint or more of Haagen-Dazs without gaining a pound while you gain weight after eating a spoon or two? The answer lies in your metabolism-the energy burning furnace we all have in our bodies that burn calories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Metabolism, is every metabolic process that is going on in your body. Each time you eat, whether its fat, protein or carbs, the chemicals in the cells of your body tear apart the food and turn it into energy that keeps your heart beating, your brain working and your body warm. The faster the metabolism, the faster calories are being consumed. The more you burn, the easier it is to lose weight.

Your daily metabolism consists of 4 different components:

1. Basal metabolism: 1300-2000 calories/day: This is the energy needed to breathe, maintain a normal body temperature, maintain circulation and brain activity. There is a great variation in this number, based on age, gender and you genes.

Amount of Energy: variable but as much as 1300 to 2000 calories per day

Can I Increase It? NO, this is fixed, genetically, age, gender dependent

2. Digestion of food: 75-150 calories/day: This is the energy needed to digest food.

Amount of energy: not much variation

Can I Increase it? YES, by selecting better foods and drinks, changing time and eating intervals

3. Daily Activities: 150 to 300 calories/day for people with sedentary jobs, up to 1000 or more calories for people with strenuous jobs.(This is not the energy expenditure with planned exercise

Amount of energy: extremely variable

Can I Increase it? YES, very easy to move around more, take stairs instead of elevator, park further from office or school.

4. Planned Exercise: 0 calories to unlimited calories /day. This is the traditional "exercise" component. It is not the exercise that occurs with activities of daily living, but the energy expended by walking around the block, playing sports, going to the gym.

Amount of energy: extremely variable

Can I increase it? YES

Many factors acting together and alone effect your metabolism. They include:

* Age- younger people have faster metabolism than older ones

* Gender- men have faster metabolism than women

* Job activities-many jobs simply are so sedentary they burn few calories

* Medications- numerous medications slow metabolism

* Medical problems- diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, low thyroid slow metabolism

* Depleted vitamins, minerals

* Skipping meals, eating in the middle of the night, eating large carb breakfasts,

* Inadequate protein and too many carbs

* Large, high carb snacks before bedtime