A high metabolism is often considered a blessing, but it can have many health effects aside from just making someone thin. Metabolism is the chemical process in the human body that converts food into energy. People with a high metabolism convert food much more quickly than the average human being, which can cause some health issues. They often need to eat larger quantities of food to maintain their weight, have difficulty gaining weight and can suffer from blood sugar issues, irregular heartbeat, excessive sweating and mood issues.
The higher a person’s metabolism is, the more calories he needs to maintain his weight. This often translates into eating more food than the average person. While eating more is not a health issues in and of itself, more often than not it means a person is eating less healthy foods than a person who has to limit his caloric intake. These unhealthy foods, often high in fat, can cause cardiovascular issues later in life as well as increase one’s risk for diabetes.
Those with a high metabolism often have issues maintaining or gaining weight. This is particularly difficult for women during pregnancy, because weight gain is essential to the health of both mom and baby. During pregnancy, a woman needs to supply not only herself with fuel but her baby. A woman with a higher than normal metabolism often needs to work closely with her doctor to make sure she is consuming enough food for both her and her baby. While the phrase “eating for two” often does not apply to a woman with a normal metabolism, a woman with a high metabolism needs to keep this in mind.
This condition has a direct effect on blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar can lead to dizziness, irritability, irregular heartbeat and excessive sweating. When the body converts food to energy too quickly, this means there are more times during the day when a person’s blood sugar levels dip. Maintaining these levels is important for almost everyone, although those with a high metabolism often have more difficulty taking time out of the day to eat as often as they should.
While many of the health effects of a high metabolism can be countered by eating frequent meals, doctors also may prescribe medication to slow down metabolism. A high metabolism can also lead to hyperthyroidism, a medical condition that causes the thyroid to produce too many hormones and push a high metabolism through the roof. While those with a high metabolism are often considered blessed with not having to watch what they eat, more often than not those with a high metabolism have to pay even more attention to their food intake than those with a normal metabolism.
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anon261405
Post 5 |
Having a fast metabolism isn't all it's cracked up to be. Mine is extremely fast - I will eat a full meal and be hungry again within 30 minutes. It doesn't matter whether that meal consists of steak, chicken, vegetables or pasta; I'm starving in half an hour again. There are definitely advantages to a fast metabolism in that I can eat whatever I want, but I am often extremely tired, I lack energy constantly, I consistently feel nauseous and dizzy and get the shakes. And most people also assume that I have anorexia as I don't gain weight. I guess we all just have to learn to work with what we have as there's advantages and disadvantages to both types. |
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anon254266
Post 4 |
i have a high metabolism and wish I had a normal metabolism. I would be my normal weight of 180 but I'm only 130-140 and my weight fluctuates 10-20 pounds a week, even overnight. |
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subway11
Post 3 |
@GreenWeaver - I understand what you are saying and the fact is that most people will not be able to relate to what the people experiencing this condition feel because not only does a small percentage have this condition, but many people are secretly envious of people with the condition. Imagine that you could get to eat whatever you wanted and not gain an ounce.
I think that with the preoccupation with weight especially among women this condition may actually cause some women to enjoy food and not feel so guilty with what they ate. It would provide enormous freedom from the guilt that many women feel when they indulge in their favorite foods once in a while. |
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GreenWeaver
Post 2 |
@Comfyshoes - I am sorry your sister went through that. I think that losing weight is hard enough and having a low thyroid like that must make you even more depressed because you feel so helpless. I know that there people who are looking to learn how to gain weight with a high metabolism and they also have body image problems. They often feel overly thin and wished they had more curves or muscles. This can be especially true of a man that is suffering from this condition because we always expect men to have a bigger build and someone with this condition might be self conscious of their small stature. If a woman has this condition then she may want to be curvier but there is still the stigma because women are supposed to be petite. So I do see the other side of the coin as well. While it sounds like a dream condition, I am sure that others might wish for a normal metabolism. |
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comfyshoes
Post 1 |
I understand that having too high of a metabolism is supposed to be bad for you but I think I would rather have a high metabolism with no weight problem than a low metabolism with a huge weight problem.
I think that there is nothing more frustrating than eating right and exercising but you can’t lose weight. This is what happened to my sister.
She was diagnosed with a hypothyroid and had an underperform metabolism. This low metabolism also made her lethargic and irritable. She was given medication and placed on a high metabolism diet in order to help her increase her metabolism and lose weight.
She had to cut out sugary and fatty foods which tended to slow down her metabolic rate. She had to exercise daily and eventually lost thirty pounds because of her diet and exercise as well as her medication.
She also had to increase her intake of protein which allowed her to stay fuller longer because it slowed down the absorption of food. He doctor told her that she should have some protein with every snack. |
