Do People Have ‘Fast’ or ‘Slow’ Metabolisms?
Article Round-Up: 9.10.23
Enjoy this week’s curated round-up of articles, podcasts, and more from the web to help you live a healthier, happier life.
Coaching Conversations: Listen Up If Weekends Prevent You From Losing Weight
Takeaway: In this conversation, we take a look at a commonly overlooked roadblock many face on their weight loss journey: The role that the weekend plays in your success.
We discuss a few ideas, including:
Strategies to manage social eating
Rethinking what the weekend means
The importance of structure on the weekends
*Note: The conversation is clipped to protect the client’s privacy. Client calls are not usually monologues. :-)
Published This Week:
“5 Quotes From Quest Nutrition Founder, Tom Bilyeu”
Takeaway: Tom Bilyeu started Quest Nutrition and sold it for $1 Billion seven years later. In this article, I pulled five hard-hitting quotes from Bilyeu and added my own interpretation of them.
"The level of effort you tolerate from yourself will define your life.”
“Don’t let joy be an accident. Create it.”
“It’s about identity. Be the kind of person that gets things done. Even when it’s hard.”
“The way to build a big business is to take care of people.”
“Decide who you want to become. Make that the center of your focus.”
“Do People Have ‘Fast’ or ‘Slow’ Metabolisms?”
Takeaway: “Even when accounting for relevant differences in demographics, size, body composition, and lifestyle, some people do simply have “fast metabolisms,” while other people simply have “slow metabolisms.”
This is fascinating, because it means that two individuals with the same height, weight, age, muscle mass, and activity levels could have different caloric needs. One could gain weight more easily, and the other, less so.
Understanding this could potentially mean a different approach to reaching your body composition goals, but it does not preclude you from achieving successful weight loss or muscle gain. What will likely change is simply your plan and your approach.
“Not Losing Weight Despite Following A Low Calorie Diet?”
Takeaway: “Though there are health conditions that can theoretically slow someone’s metabolism enough to stop a 1200-Calorie diet from working, they are exceedingly rare, says Precision Nutrition Director of Nutrition Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD.
In other words, if your client is eating at or below the above calorie limits and still isn’t losing weight, a medical problem likely isn’t behind your client’s lack of results.
Much more likely, is this: Your client is eating more than they think they’re eating.”
Click the link to read more about the most common issue folks struggle to lose weight—even when they think everything is on track.
Reader Question: Anonymous
“I used to be active regularly, but work and family life has taken it’s toll since the pandemic. Now it’s been years since I’ve had a good routine. I want to get back into it, but those good routines feel so unfamiliar. How do I get back into it?”
I’m sure you’re in the same boat as lots of people. The pandemic took it’s toll on everyone, and with the gym closures and sparse availability of equipment for purchase, people were all but forced to give up many of their good habits.
The key to returning is to first recognize that you aren’t jumping back in where you left off. It’s been years, so the expectation of hitting the gym consistently four, five, or even six days a week isn’t realistic for where you are right now.
The main focus for you right now should be reducing the barrier of entry.
Given your current schedule and lifestyle, what amount of gym time could you easily commit to? Emphasis on “easily.” If you aren’t shaking your head because it feels silly setting such an laughably achievable goal, then it isn’t easy enough.
*Submit your reader questions by replying to this email and each week I will pick one from the list to answer. Tune in to see if I answer yours!