Fast Versus Slow Metabolism: When It Comes to Your Health, It’s Complicated

People often blame their metabolism for weight gain and stalled weight loss. It’s not that simple. Metabolism plays a role when we’re trying to manage our weight, but gaining and losing weight is still mostly determined by how many calories we take in versus how many calories we burn.

The role metabolism plays comes down to a simple measurement: How many calories do we burn when we’re at rest? This is called our Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. BMR, which is typically expressed in calories, fuels everything from cell division to blood circulation.

For example, if you burn 1,500 calories when you’re at rest, but you consume 2,000 calories per day, you’ll need to burn 500 or so calories through activity (walking, exercise, etc.) just to maintain your weight. If you want to lose weight, you’ll need to cut the number of calories you consume or burn more through exercise.

Our BMR is unique and is influenced by diet and exercise but also by the uncontrollable forces such as age, gender, race and genetics. If you have slow metabolism or a low BMR, your body requires fewer calories —  less fuel from food — to keep it functioning, especially in a resting state.

If you have a high BMR, it means your body burns a lot of calories even when you’re not doing anything. But that doesn’t mean everyone with a fast metabolism is naturally thin. You can still be overweight or obese with a fast metabolism because you consume more calories than your activity and BMR can burn. Studies show that overweight or obese people frequently do have a fast metabolism.

There’s a different measurement that’s often confused with BMR — RMR or resting metabolic rate. While BMR is the minimum calories your body requires for basic functions (heart beats, cell repair, blood flow, etc.), your RMR is the number of calories your body actually burns while you’re not doing much -- stretching, walking to and from the fridge and light activities like snacking.

While the numbers aren’t the same, they are useful. Your doctor can help you calculate your BMR or RMR, which can become a basis for weight management and weight loss.

How do you improve or maintain your metabolism? Here are four tips that work:

Eat healthily
To maintain metabolic health, fuel your body with a fiber-rich, well-balanced diet of lean protein, healthy carbohydrates, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocados and nuts, non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens and colorful varieties) and legumes. These foods promote efficient digestion, extraction of essential nutrients and blood glucose level control.

Move more
If you follow the recommended weekly physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes (2.5 hours), that’s great. But you also need to add muscle-strengthening activity two days a week. Strength-training in particular helps boost BMR, because building lean muscle mass burns more calories and helps increase metabolism.

Get your Zs
Research shows sleep is intricately involved with having a healthy metabolism. Thirty percent of Americans sleep fewer than 6 hours a night and the negative impact on metabolism can be profound. Lack of sleep can cause metabolic dysregulation including hormonal imbalances, inflammation and overstimulation of your sympathetic nervous system.

Additional factors
For optimum metabolic health and to minimize your risk of metabolic syndrome, maintain strong mental health, manage your stress levels, limit alcohol consumption and quit smoking.

Be sure to include your doctor when you’re making changes. They can provide coaching and guidance.