Metabolism
There are relatively small differences in metabolism between men and women. On the average, women's total metabolism (the number of calories burned for basal metabolism, respiration, heart beat, maintaining body temperature, digestion and daily activities is around 5 to 10 percent lower than men's.) This is explained by differences in fat and muscle mass between the two sexes. Muscle mass and bones size are far larger in men than in women, even of equal weight. Women have a higher percentage of body fat than men. Because of these differences in muscle mass, a male simply burns up more calories at rest than a female. HCG may make a real difference in weigh loss especially for women, because as Dr. Simeons pointed out it rapidly produces fat loss from around the abdomen and buttocks the source of the slow metabolism.
HCG is The Ideal Diet To Increase the Slowing of Metabolism Seen with Menopause
When a women’s menstrual periods have stopped for a year or when her blood shows high levels of LH and FSH hormones she is said to be in the menopause. LH and FSH are hormones called gonadotropins that are made by the pituitary gland in the middle of the brain, these are the real gonadotropins. They stimulate the ovaries to make estrogens and produce eggs. Remember HCG is normally made by the placenta in pregnant women and is not found normally anywhere in the body and is really not a “gonadotropin.” Falling estrogens and rising FSH and LH usually occurs between 45- 55 years, but there is a lot of variation. The result is called menopause.
Unintentional Weight Gain.
Women begin to experience hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, mood changes and weight gain due to increasing levels of FSH. Estrogens are responsible for fat distribution in females- the “pear shape” where most of the fat on the buttocks and thighs rather than the “apple shape” where most of the fat is around the abdomen.
The pituitary Gland attempts to reverse these processes by making more and more FSH and LSH in an attempt to get the ovaries functioning again and increase estrogen production. This causes more and more symptoms and weight gain.
Fat Cells throughout the body enlarge and have the ability to make estrogens and are stimulated to get larger so they can make more estrogens (they are poor producers of estrogens) —the result is weight gain.
Male Androgens hormones and Testosterone Women and men both have estrogens and androgens- each are held in check by normal body processes. During menopause this whole balance breaks down as estrogens fall, and the effects of androgens increase. What effects? Growth of dark hairs on arms, and face, thinning of hair and most important fat deposition around the abdomen and resulting weight gain. Since testosterone helps create muscle mass (think of the weight lifters taking these medications illegally) there is fall in muscle mass and a fall in metabolism. (Muscles are more metabolically active than fat cells.) The result a slowing of metabolism and weight gain.
All of these hormones, acting together are responsible for the expected and “normal” weight gain and change in body shape so common in menopause. About 93% of menopausal women gain weight between the ages of 35 and 55. This can be as little as 10 lb to as much as 75 lbs or even more.
Tips to Help the Menopausal Women with Weight Gain
1. Giving Up Control: It’s very hard for anyone, female or male to accept that the fact that there are changes going on in their bodies over which they have little control.
2. Weight gain in menopause is natural: The first step to reversing the weight gain associated with menopause is to understand that it’s due to the “normal” change in hormones with aging.
3. Stop driving yourself crazy: Beating yourself up and feeling like a failure will not help.
4. Making some sensible changes: Changing your diet, physical activity, the times of eating, estrogen replacement are among the many positive changes you can make.
5. The HCG diet offers the menopausal women a great answer to her slower metabolism.
Is Your Lack of Simple Daily Activities Slowing Your Metabolism?
NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis, coined by Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic) are the activities than burn calories not related to planned exercise, or food digestion. It’s the calorie burned by everyone as they do day to day activities like shopping for shoes in a mall, walking in a hall way of school, or walking to the school bus. NEAT can account for much greater calorie consumption than standard exercise. It can differ by 100 or even 1000 calorie among individuals. Thermogenesis is the scientific word for calorie burning.
Three Components of Energy Expenditure
In the figure to the right The dark column represents how all of the day’s calories are used: part of the calories for NEAT, & those calories for basal metabolism (digestion, heart beat, body heat). Not included are any calories burned up by planned exercise.
Dr. Levine divides NEAT into 2 types for adults and one type for children.
Occupational NEAT represents those calories burned doing one’s occupation. A highly ambulatory or strenuous job like a package delivery man or a construction worker burns 1000 calories a day, while most of us with sedentary jobs only burn 100-200 calories a day. Remember, “being busy” is not the same as being strenuous. A good definition of a strenuous job means that 75% or more of the day’s work occurs outside a building or vehicle.
Non-occupational NEAT are those calories burned doing our daily activities, excluding those related to occupation. Dr. Levine found that thin people, even with sedentary jobs, spend 150 minutes more a day on their feet than overweight people. Overweight people spend 160 minutes more than thin people sitting. This is not a genetic change because it happened only in the last 20-30 years but an
adaptation to the sitting environment made by
What are the thin people with sedentary occupations doing to increase their metabolism? They are fidgeting, standing on their feet instead of sitting, climbing steps instead of using the elevator, going from room to room- often with little purpose, cleaning, watering the yard, and cleaning their car. They get out of their car, instead of going to drive- thru restaurants, banks, and even pharmacies.
The ”Time Spent in Activities: figure shows the time lean and obese people spend in various activities. The time and calories do not include occupational or additional exercise beyond the normal day. Graphs are courtesy of The American Heart Association and Dr. James A. Levine, who I thank for sharing this very important information.
The overweight person has learned to do daily tasks with the least amount of effort. Instead of getting up from his feet to get a file 4 feet away, he will slide his chair, or ask a colleague to grab it for him. If you are among these individual, adding a little more activities to your day and taking HCG will result in a much faster metabolism and more rapid weight loss.
Do You Have a Medical Condition Slowing
