You pay attention to your diet, you move, but the scale doesn’t move a single gram? Maybe it’s not your fault. The culprit could well be hiding in an invisible but essential mechanism: your metabolism. Slow or fast, the latter directly influences the way your body burns calories. What if it all started from there? A nutrition professor explains how to know if your metabolism is working in your favor… or slowing down your efforts without you knowing it.
What is metabolism and why does it vary from person to person?
Losing weight, despite efforts, can sometimes seem like a mission impossible. For Professor Jean-Daniel Lalau, professor of nutrition and former head of the endocrinology-nutrition department at Amiens University Hospital, it all starts with a simple balance: “Energy balance in general is the ratio between inputs and outputs, the inputs being food and the outputs mainly, but not only, basal metabolism.“.
The specialist compares metabolism to a chimney: “It functions more or less well, depending on the quantity and nature of what is given to it (we can give the example of dry wood for starchy foods) on the one hand and the quality of its draw on the other hand, the latter corresponding to what we spend at rest, i.e. the basic metabolism“. This basic metabolism, specific to each person, determines the quantity of energy that the body expends without particular effort.
Possible obstacles to weight loss
Before blaming a slow metabolism, the doctor recommends checking for other causes. “In particular disorders of thyroid function, extremely common, especially in women“, he specifies. A simple TSH analysis can be enough to detect it.
Diet also plays a central role. If your meals contain hidden fats or excessive portions, weight loss may be slowed. “The quantitative and qualitative dietary survey must be as detailed as possible“, underlines Professor Lalau, who advises reviewing your habits before incriminating your body.
How to know your metabolism type?
To precisely assess your metabolism, specialists use hospital techniques such as calorimetry. But there are also more accessible methods: “In a simpler way, it is possible to approach constitutional metabolism by analyzing body composition, which also provides an evaluation of energy expenditure, by impedancemetry“.
These devices, often found in gyms or nutrition clinics, can give a first estimate. However, mainstream models only partially measure the body, so their interpretation should be entrusted to a professional.
Comparing your metabolism to that of a loved one can also give an idea: “Indeed, some people can ‘eat whatever they want’ without gaining weight, while others have to ‘be very careful’ not to gain weight.“.
If your body burns fewer calories at rest, the expert recommends taking action elsewhere: “It is then necessary to play on other areas of expenditure: increase energy expenditure through physical activity in the event of a sedentary lifestyle and make the most relevant food choices possible on a qualitative level, without restriction however, precisely to properly adjust the level of intake for the recommended physical activity“.