The weight-loss conversation is pretty loud. A million different products promise you lower
numbers on the scale, or to help you eat less food, or crave less sugar. Rarely, if ever, do these
products and promises mention the “f” word: fat. That’s because off-the-shelf and fad diets use
only quantitative measurements—weight and inches—to determine your success.
Weight and inches are often used as the primary indicators for success because they are both
easy to achieve and easy to track, but they don’t necessarily equate to healthful goals or
permanent change. Have you ever gone on a diet and worked painstakingly for months to lose
10 pounds only to gain back the weight and then some within a few weeks of going off the diet?
That’s because weight fluctuates based on many factors—what you eat, how much you eat,
allergies, inflammation, hormones, how you sleep, how much you sleep, etc.—and a significant
amount of the weight you lose during a diet may be comprised of water and muscle.
Consequently, for long-term results, you need to keep that water and muscle around.
Why fat loss is more important than your weight?
How a healthy metabolism helps you to lose fat and keep it off
The minerals you need to support a healthy metabolism
Because metabolism is a chemical process in the body, it requires specific nutrients to help
keep it running smoothly and working properly. B-complex vitamins and Vitamin C, in
particular, are critical to the healthy functioning of your metabolism.
B-complex vitamins in particular help your body to metabolize fats, proteins, and
carbohydrates, turning them into energy rather than storing them as fat. When your body is
lacking in B-complex vitamins, you may be more likely to gain weight as fat and have a more
difficult time burning that fat through exercise.
In particular, vitamins B3, or Niacin, and B6, or Pyridoxine, work together with iron to jumpstart
and regulate the production of L-carnitine, an amino that not only supports your body’s ability
to burn fat, but also assists in generating increased muscle mass.
Vitamins B5, or pantothenic acid, works together with calcium, vitamin C, B6, B12, and a variety
of other B-complex vitamins to help your body, and particularly your metabolism, function at
peak performance. In addition, vitamin C helps your body to maintain muscle growth and
structure. It also supports your circulatory system, helping you to remain strong through each
and every workout.
Despite the power of these vitamins to your health goals, it can be difficult to get all of the
nutrients you need through food alone, especially if you are following a special diet to aid in
your goals.
