The Perfect Genes

by: AndreaDow
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Word Count: 420

Tuesday, October 23rd

I recently had a client complaining that her sister and her follow a very similar diet and exercise routine, yet her sister seems to lose weight much more easily than her. What gives? If two people exercise the same amount and eat the same amount, why would there be any difference in weight loss? We have all experienced this scenario with siblings, friends and co-workers. Did you ever have that annoying friend that could eat Dorritos and candy bars without gaining an ounce? I sure did.

Thanks to Dr. David L. Katz, MD, we have an answer to this frustrating question. There are really only three ways that the body burns calories:
1. Physical activity
2. Digestion of food
3. Generation of fuel for the brain, heart, liver and organs (Resting Energy Expenditure- REE)

I remember attending a nutrition conference a couple of years ago and everyone was just astounded at the fact that physical activity and food digestion together account for only 30% of your total caloric expenditure while the REE provides the remaining 70% of caloric expenditure. The bummer is that you cannot do much to alter your REE- this number is genetically determined. Read here naturally skinny folks: send your parent's a big thank you for giving you the perfect metabolism genes.

Another stumbling block on the road to weight loss is set point. According to Dr. Katz, the set point is a weight towards which your body is inclined. There is some controversy about this, but much of the research does support the set point idea. Some people just have to work harder than others to achieve their ideal weight, especially in our culture of overfed, underexercised Americans. Read the blog earlier this week on the 920 calorie breakfast burrito if you need proof of our over-consumption.

You can do a couple of things to combat the REE issue:
1. Realize that your REE is unique to YOU and that you require a certain amount of calories to maintain your weight. If you can, find a place to get your REE measured to get an accurate estimate of your daily caloric expenditure. Forget comparing yourself to anyone else, everyone has their unique set of genes and REE.
2. Exercise to build more muscle. Lean muscle does burn more caloreis than body fat even while your body is at rest.
3. Once you have found a healthy lifestyle that combines the right amount of exercise and caloric consumption, love the body that you have been blessed to receive!

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