Metabolism is the process by which your body converts substances like proteins, carbohydrates, sugars and fats into energy, called calories. Your body's metabolic rate, or the rate at which you convert energy and burn calories, goes up and down throughout the day.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories that your body burns to maintain basic body functions like circulation and respiration. However, according to the MayoClinic.com, basal metabolic rate accounts for only 60 to 75 percent of your total daily caloric expenditure because it does not include activity or exercise. The more intense your activity level and the higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn per minute.
Exercise
When you burn calories through exercise, you are essentially subtracting calories from your daily caloric intake. Every calorie you burn cancels out one calorie you eat. However, subtracting calories from your daily caloric intake may cause confusion as you continue to eat and burn calories throughout the day. A more basic model to follow is to add up all the calories you burn through basal metabolic rate and exercise, and then compare the number to your total daily caloric intake. The difference between the two numbers can help lead you to weight loss.
Weight Management
If you consume the same number of calories as you burned through total daily expenditure, your weight will remain the same and you will not lose fat. If you cut calories, you will lose weight and burn extra fat. MedlinePlus recommends eating 500 fewer calories than you need, based on total daily expenditure, to lose 1 lb. per week. If cut 1,000 calories per day, you can lose up to 2 lbs. per week.
Considerations
Your body takes energy from different substances --- proteins, fats, sugars and carbohydrates --- based on your activity level. Proteins and fats are reserved for lower intensity activities, like jogging, while sugars and carbohydrates are used for quick, high-intensity exercises, like weightlifting and sprinting. While low-intensity exercises burn a higher percentage of calories from fat, fewer calories are burned overall. The counterpoint is that high-intensity exercises burn more calories, with a lower percentage coming from fat. The best solution is to exercise at both high and low intensity for effective fat burn and for the most dramatic cardiovascular fitness improvements.
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