Many factors affect your metabolic rate, including your muscle mass, body temperature, hormones, age and genetic makeup. Although you can alter it somewhat with diet and exercise, some factors cannot be changed. People who have naturally low resting metabolic rates may find it more difficult to lose weight because their bodies use fewer calories than normal to sustain life and store more as fat. However, people with all metabolic rates can lose weight by modifying their diet and exercise regimen. This may take more time and trial and error if you have a low metabolism, but by consuming fewer calories than you burn, you can reach your weight loss goal.
Step 1
Estimate your resting metabolic rate by entering your weight in kilograms, your height in centimeters and your age into the Harris-Benedict Equation appropriate for your gender. This equation is RMR = 66.5 + (13.75 x kg) + (5.003 x cm) - (6.775 x age) for men and RMR = 655.1 + (9.563 x kg) + (1.850 x cm) - (4.676 x age) for women. Your resting metabolic rate is also called your basal energy expenditure.
Step 2
Multiply your RMR by the activity factor that describes your lifestyle. For example, if you are sedentary, you have an activity factor of 1.2; if you are lightly active, your AF is 1.375; moderately active is 1.55; very active is 1.725; and extra active is 1.9. The product of your RMR and your activity factor equals your estimated daily calorie needs.
Step 3
Burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you eat through a combination of reducing your calorie intake and increasing your exercise level. However, do not eat fewer than 1,200 calories if you are a woman or 1,800 calories if you are a man without consulting your doctor.
Step 4
Watch less television. According to a study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine," watching television lowers your metabolism more than doing nothing at all and over a period of four years may lead to weight gain of up to .31 pound per hour watched per day.
Step 5
Eat few or no chips, sugary drinks, red meat or processed meat. According to the "New England Journal of Medicine," these are the foods most closely associated with weight gain. Instead, replace them with healthy alternatives such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and yogurt, which can help you lose weight.
Step 6
Maintain a diet and exercise regimen appropriate to the caloric needs you calculated for one to two weeks. If you have not lost weight after two weeks, reduce your calorie intake or increase your exercise level slightly. The Harris-Benedict formula is only an estimate and your needs may be slightly lower than what you calculated.
Step 7
Maintain your adjusted diet for one to two weeks to see if you lose weight. If you do not and you are consuming close to the minimum number of recommended calories, talk to your doctor before reducing your calorie intake any farther.
References
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University: Basal Energy Expenditure: Harris-Benedict Equation
- Kansas State University: Physical Activity and Controlling Weight
- MayoClinic.com; Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight Loss Basics; Mayo Clinic Staff; December 2009
- American College of Sports Medicine; Metabolism Is Modifiable with the Right Lifestyle Changes; March 2009
- "The New England Journal of Medicine"; Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men; Dariush Mozaffarian; June 2011
- North Seattle Community College: Factors Affecting Weight and Metabolism
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