Your metabolism is the process by which your body converts food and drink into usable energy. Even when you are at rest, your body requires energy for involuntary processes, such as breathing, digestion, blood circulation and new cell growth. The number of calories your body burns to carry out these involuntary processes is referred to as your basal metabolic rate, or BMR.
Physiology
According to MayoClinic.com, your BMR accounts for 60 to 75 percent of the calories you burn each day. If you follow a very low-calorie diet, customarily defined as less than 1200 calories per day, your BMR slows down -- a process referred to as metabolic adaptation. This decrease in metabolism helps reduce the calories needed for your body to function and helps conserve fat stores so that you can use fat for energy needed later.
Feast and Famine
People who follow very low-calorie diets often regularly go through a cycle called the feast and famine cycle. When you are eating very few calories, you will initially lose weight, but your fat stores will increase. This process is referred to as famine. When you go off the very low-calorie diet -- or begin the feast stage -- and you begin to eat normally again, you will begin to gain weight. This weight gain can occur quickly because of your increased fat stores. Returning to the very low-calorie diet causes you to lose weight again, but your fat stores are further increased. This process is also referred to as yo-yo dieting.
Preventing Slow Metabolism
Dr. Lynne Smiley of Northern Arizona University recommends consuming between 1200 and 1400 calories per day to prevent your metabolism from slowing down. In addition to making sure you consume enough calories, you should aim to consume between 40 and 50 g of fat, which helps you to feel full. Because of this, it may be beneficial to spread your fat intake throughout the day's meals. If your metabolism has already slowed down, increasing your calorie intake may cause you to gain weight initially. This weight is not permanent and usually stabilizes once your body gets used to the increased calorie intake and your metabolism returns to normal.
Considerations
Weight loss is a slow and steady process. Contrary to what the media tells you, no "quick fix" to weight loss is advisable. Many nutrition professionals agree that healthy weight loss occurs for most people at a rate of 2 lbs. per week. Severe calorie restriction is not only harmful to your body, but it also may lead to weight gain. The best way to lose weight is to exercise regularly and provide your body with an adequate number of calories in the form of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy products.
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