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Metabolism Research Help

Why do so many people not believe their metabolism is in their hands?

Soishaman
Soishaman g Aleksandr Peskishev
9 Post(s)
9 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: November 11, 2013
Posted

I'm writing a research paper for school and would really appreciate any insight I could get from you guys. I'm trying to get as much as I could on the belief many people hold that a metabolism is your everything. Many people seem to think you are either gifted with a quick metabolism that'll burn off anything you eat in seconds or you are cursed to forever be fat. I'm supposed to analyze why so many people think this, how this idea ever got started, why even with so much research showing that you can indeed control your metabolism and weight so many don't believe/know this, and how this affects and speaks about us. Thank you for any help!

nate_dawg
nate_dawg g Nathan Bishop
453 Post(s)
453 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: December 12, 1969
Posted
Posted By: Soishaman

I'm writing a research paper for school and would really appreciate any insight I could get from you guys. I'm trying to get as much as I could on the belief many people hold that a metabolism is your everything. Many people seem to think you are either gifted with a quick metabolism that'll burn off anything you eat in seconds or you are cursed to forever be fat. I'm supposed to analyze why so many people think this, how this idea ever got started, why even with so much research showing that you can indeed control your metabolism and weight so many don't believe/know this, and how this affects and speaks about us. Thank you for any help!

Well metabolism is almost everything when it comes to burning fat and staying lean. Just working out regularly alone increases ones metabolism. Those people who say they are cursed with a slow metabolism are the ones who are too lazy to workout and dont eat correctly. If you sit around and eat junk all the time you are eventually going to get fat. Once fat cells are created they are there to stay which makes it even more difficult to burn fat and keep it off. Eating healthier and working out regularly will speed up anyones metabolism. So the choice is theirs. I believe most people in society today just lack the drive to stay fit and maintain healthy eating habits. Its sad, but its true.

Cliff_Bouvier
Cliff_Bouvier g Cliff Bouvier
16 Post(s)
16 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: September 9, 2011
Posted

I am a firm believer in the science behind "boosting" your metabolism with the fusion of exercise and diet! The many contributing factors in how we metabolize our food and burn calories is not difficult to undrestand. People who say that they have a slow metabolism and that there is nothing they can do about weight gains, haven't seen what people who have been morbidly obese and then decided that they want to make the changes necessary to become leaner and healthier, have done! That isn't myth, it is fact! Change the diet, add cardio and exercise to your daily schedule, and the body will respond! The major benefit to all of this besides just looking fantastic and physically feeling stronger, is what it does to ones self esteem! The best Anti-depressent in the world!

I am the Social Media Director and Administrator for Scott Herman Fitness. It has been 5 years since Scott and I met at Answer is Fitness gym and started a friendship that turned into a business relationship when he asked me to join the SHF team! I film many of the videos for SHF and I also take photos for Scott and write articles, cut his hair and cook many of the meals that you see us post on the Facebook Community page! Follow me on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cliffordbouvier/boards/
jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Soishaman

I'm writing a research paper for school and would really appreciate any insight I could get from you guys. I'm trying to get as much as I could on the belief many people hold that a metabolism is your everything. Many people seem to think you are either gifted with a quick metabolism that'll burn off anything you eat in seconds or you are cursed to forever be fat. I'm supposed to analyze why so many people think this, how this idea ever got started, why even with so much research showing that you can indeed control your metabolism and weight so many don't believe/know this, and how this affects and speaks about us. Thank you for any help!

Soishaman,

 

I will give you my perspective on this and it builds on Nate's comment.  Metabolism is the foundation for how your body uses and processes the calories you get from food.  That is a fact.  The reason our society is so fixated on it and use "genetics" - that is "I was born with a fast/slow metabolism" or "I can't change myself, I was born this way" - is because our society loves excuses.  It is easier to blame something you can't control on things like genetics and family history instead of taking ownership of the problem and addressing its root causes.  Our American mentality for weight problems and health in general is a "take-a-pill-for-it" and if you can't do that blame something attitude.  We don't cure disease we treat its symptoms.  The pharmaceutical industry needs repeat customers.  Addressing the root cause of a problem/disease is not as profitable as addressing the symptoms and creating names for conditions like "Metabolic Syndrome."  For most people, it is easier to just accept and blame their situation on a "condition" or "syndrome" rather than get off their ass and find out what is causing it and doing something to fix it.

 

Metabolic Syndrome - while it is descriptive of a set of conditions overweight people experience in common - is nothing more than the medical communities naming of the effect of poor diets and lack of exercise on people.  This syndrome never occured prior to 1946 because people ate smaller portions, had home cooked meals and didn't eat out as often, were more active whether at work or home, and didn't eat poisons like trans fats, etc.  Compare the size of a coke in 1950 to what we have now.  They didn't have 64oz Big Gulps with enough sugar for 2 weeks in one drink back then.  There were no trans fats.  There was no heavy use of plastic containers with estrogen immitating Bisphenol A in them.  The amounts of salt, sugars, and chemicals in our foods were a lot less.  The Agricultural Revolution after World War 2 saw the advent of companies like DuPont using science to make our food "better" and last longer.  You have more people eating out and exercising less.  We are exposed to more toxins in our food and environment.  We have genetically engineered crops.  All of these influences are "foreign" to our bodies.  The results - diseases like cancer and heart disease/high blood pressure and problems like obesity and diabetes.

 

The bottom line is, in my opinion, people are physically and mentally lazy.  They want to eat their shit food and lie around doing nothing rather than taking control of their lives and eat better and exercise.  Whenever people or studies prove these work, they ignore them and blame their metabolism while they take their Lipitor for high cholesterol, their high blood pressure medication, their diabetes medication, and all the other pills they take because it allows them to still eat like shit and not exercise yet live a "normal" life.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: jmboiardi

Soishaman,

 

I will give you my perspective on this and it builds on Nate's comment.  Metabolism is the foundation for how your body uses and processes the calories you get from food.  That is a fact.  The reason our society is so fixated on it and use "genetics" - that is "I was born with a fast/slow metabolism" or "I can't change myself, I was born this way" - is because our society loves excuses.  It is easier to blame something you can't control on things like genetics and family history instead of taking ownership of the problem and addressing its root causes.  Our American mentality for weight problems and health in general is a "take-a-pill-for-it" and if you can't do that blame something attitude.  We don't cure disease we treat its symptoms.  The pharmaceutical industry needs repeat customers.  Addressing the root cause of a problem/disease is not as profitable as addressing the symptoms and creating names for conditions like "Metabolic Syndrome."  For most people, it is easier to just accept and blame their situation on a "condition" or "syndrome" rather than get off their ass and find out what is causing it and doing something to fix it.

 

Metabolic Syndrome - while it is descriptive of a set of conditions overweight people experience in common - is nothing more than the medical communities naming of the effect of poor diets and lack of exercise on people.  This syndrome never occured prior to 1946 because people ate smaller portions, had home cooked meals and didn't eat out as often, were more active whether at work or home, and didn't eat poisons like trans fats, etc.  Compare the size of a coke in 1950 to what we have now.  They didn't have 64oz Big Gulps with enough sugar for 2 weeks in one drink back then.  There were no trans fats.  There was no heavy use of plastic containers with estrogen immitating Bisphenol A in them.  The amounts of salt, sugars, and chemicals in our foods were a lot less.  The Agricultural Revolution after World War 2 saw the advent of companies like DuPont using science to make our food "better" and last longer.  You have more people eating out and exercising less.  We are exposed to more toxins in our food and environment.  We have genetically engineered crops.  All of these influences are "foreign" to our bodies.  The results - diseases like cancer and heart disease/high blood pressure and problems like obesity and diabetes.

 

The bottom line is, in my opinion, people are physically and mentally lazy.  They want to eat their shit food and lie around doing nothing rather than taking control of their lives and eat better and exercise.  Whenever people or studies prove these work, they ignore them and blame their metabolism while they take their Lipitor for high cholesterol, their high blood pressure medication, their diabetes medication, and all the other pills they take because it allows them to still eat like shit and not exercise yet live a "normal" life.

 

John

Well said John! Nate and Cliff you guys brought up some great points too.

 

Americans today are SUPER LAZY!  Just watch the movie "The Sandlot".  I love this movie and in the time period it takes place which I think is the 50s or 60s kids were always outside building stuff, playing sports, running around town, etc.

 

Nowadays kids spend 80% of their free time either at home on the computer, playing video games, or playing on their phone or they are out in public somewhere... but still on their phone or doing something other than being active.

 

But can we really blame them?  Our society is so backwards that a lot have schools have cut recess or gym class and the schools that still have gym class don't even allow kids to play competitive games like "dodgeball" because they are singling out the other children.  That is such utter BS it isn't even funny.  Schools today are so afraid of bullying that any sort of competitiveness is a problem.  Being competitive in gym class was my favorite part about it and is what got me into fitness to begin with!  I personally don't think brushing something under the table is the way to handle it, but hey that is just me.

 

I am not that old, but when I was a kid I was all about hanging out with my friends, riding bikes, working on cars, and playing football, baseball, kickball, soccer etc. outside.

 

If you want to know what I think the REAL reason is for laziness is, it's the internet.  Think about it.  When I was a kid and had to complete a school project I had to ACTUALLY GO to the LIBRARY!  The simple act of getting in a car or walking to the library and then searching for what I needed burned way more calories than kids today being able to just sit down wherever they want and go on the internet on their laptops.  Also, why go play games with your friends outside when they can challenge each other online inside with xBox or PS3?

It is just so easy to stay home or inside in general to do everything that you need to because you have such easy access to anything you want thanks to the internet and while you are home, might as well grab a bag of Doritos and a 137oz BIG GULP Mountain Dew right??  (ounces may have been exaggerated... lol)

 

At the end of the day I will always do my best to teach fitness and help anyone who wants to make the change to a healthier lifestyle.  I am a hardcore gamer myself and am always online doing something.  But everything in moderation.  That is key!

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Soishaman
Soishaman g Aleksandr Peskishev
9 Post(s)
9 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: November 11, 2013
Posted

Holy crap, I was able to (and still am) use SO much of this, thanks a lot!

jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Soishaman

Holy crap, I was able to (and still am) use SO much of this, thanks a lot!

Glad we could help.  Now there is the matter of our fees for providing this info and the copywrite laws to go with it :-P.  Just kidding.   Hopefully the paper will get you an "A" or a "4.0". 

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
nate_dawg
nate_dawg g Nathan Bishop
453 Post(s)
453 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: December 12, 1969
Posted
Posted By: Scott_Herman

Well said John! Nate and Cliff you guys brought up some great points too.

 

Americans today are SUPER LAZY!  Just watch the movie "The Sandlot".  I love this movie and in the time period it takes place which I think is the 50s or 60s kids were always outside building stuff, playing sports, running around town, etc.

 

Nowadays kids spend 80% of their free time either at home on the computer, playing video games, or playing on their phone or they are out in public somewhere... but still on their phone or doing something other than being active.

 

But can we really blame them?  Our society is so backwards that a lot have schools have cut recess or gym class and the schools that still have gym class don't even allow kids to play competitive games like "dodgeball" because they are singling out the other children.  That is such utter BS it isn't even funny.  Schools today are so afraid of bullying that any sort of competitiveness is a problem.  Being competitive in gym class was my favorite part about it and is what got me into fitness to begin with!  I personally don't think brushing something under the table is the way to handle it, but hey that is just me.

 

I am not that old, but when I was a kid I was all about hanging out with my friends, riding bikes, working on cars, and playing football, baseball, kickball, soccer etc. outside.

 

If you want to know what I think the REAL reason is for laziness is, it's the internet.  Think about it.  When I was a kid and had to complete a school project I had to ACTUALLY GO to the LIBRARY!  The simple act of getting in a car or walking to the library and then searching for what I needed burned way more calories than kids today being able to just sit down wherever they want and go on the internet on their laptops.  Also, why go play games with your friends outside when they can challenge each other online inside with xBox or PS3?

It is just so easy to stay home or inside in general to do everything that you need to because you have such easy access to anything you want thanks to the internet and while you are home, might as well grab a bag of Doritos and a 137oz BIG GULP Mountain Dew right??  (ounces may have been exaggerated... lol)

 

At the end of the day I will always do my best to teach fitness and help anyone who wants to make the change to a healthier lifestyle.  I am a hardcore gamer myself and am always online doing something.  But everything in moderation.  That is key!

Very true and very well said Scott! So many kids today would rather eat junk food and play video games rather than play sports or do something productive. This is a sad world we live in and the way I see it, it wont get better, it will only get worse. But guys like you, me and these other hermanites are willing to motivate and give all the info one needs to turn their life around and get in shape. People are just creatures of habit. A body at rest tends to stay at rest while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. 

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: nate_dawg

Very true and very well said Scott! So many kids today would rather eat junk food and play video games rather than play sports or do something productive. This is a sad world we live in and the way I see it, it wont get better, it will only get worse. But guys like you, me and these other hermanites are willing to motivate and give all the info one needs to turn their life around and get in shape. People are just creatures of habit. A body at rest tends to stay at rest while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. 

Exactly Nathan.  We can make a difference.  We already are!  Look how big the Nation is and it grows everyday! #HTH

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Soishaman
Soishaman g Aleksandr Peskishev
9 Post(s)
9 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: November 11, 2013
Posted
Posted By: jmboiardi

Glad we could help.  Now there is the matter of our fees for providing this info and the copywrite laws to go with it :-P.  Just kidding.   Hopefully the paper will get you an "A" or a "4.0". 

 

John

I'll be more than happy to cover that charge!

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Soishaman

I'll be more than happy to cover that charge!

haha John!  You are hilarious man :)

 

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Soishaman
Soishaman g Aleksandr Peskishev
9 Post(s)
9 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: November 11, 2013
Posted

Happy to say that I got a 90%!

jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Soishaman

Happy to say that I got a 90%!

Excellent!  Congrats!  I am glad we could help.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
muscular strength
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