Fast or Slow Metabolism ?
Is my metabolism fast or slow ?
The commonly held belief is that people with a fast metabolism are the lucky ones, because they can eat what they like without putting on any weight. This is only partly true, and there are many obese fast metabolisers as well as plenty of thin slow metabolisers. Physical appearance is not a reliable guide to a person's metabolic rate.
There are various methods available for determining whether you have a fast or a slow metabolism. Some of these methods are quite elaborate, for example, measuring the amount of heat your body gives out while you are enclosed in a sealed test room. My method of estimating a person's metabolic rate uses a simple self assessment checklist - The Metabolism Scorecard ( © James Chalmers 1999). This checklist occupies the centre fold of the diet handbook: Are You What You Eat ? .
The self assessment works like this:
Listed on the left hand page are fast metabolism characteristics
Listed on the right hand page are slow metabolism characteristics
The characteristics are in pairs for example:Thick dry hair/Thin silky hair. You select which one of the pair is the most typical of you,
The pair of statements above, about hair thickness, in itself is not sufficient to give a reliable indication of metabolic rate. So more characteristics are necessary. The scorecard provides a total of nineteen pairs of statements.
After placing ticks against the most appropriate characteristics, you add up the score on each side. A bias one way or the other will give a good indication of whether you have a fast or a slow metabolism.
What foods suit my metabolism ?
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