Every one of us will face decisions this year. Some will be small decisions with little consequence while other decisions will have far reaching effects in our lives. Let's just mention one....to lose weight or not to lose weight. Both can have far reaching consequences. Before you decide to lose weight, you might want to figure out the cause and what you are going to do about it.

Your metabolism probably gets blamed for a lot of things – your most recent weight gain and your struggle to get the extra pounds off. Unfortunately, unless you suffer from hypothyroidism or some other metabolic disease, you don’t get to blame it for your weight problems.

What is metabolism anyway? Your metabolism is basically a series of biochemical reactions by which your body turns the food you eat into energy. Everyone has a basal (or base) metabolic rate, which covers your body’s basic needs, like breathing, blood circulation, and cell growth and repair. These metabolic needs account for about two-thirds of your total calorie needs each day. In addition to your basal metabolic rate, your body burns energy when you eat so you can digest and break down your food. Digestion only accounts for about 10% of your total daily calorie needs. Finally, after your basic energy requirements and digestive needs are cared for, your metabolism also takes care of any physical activity you do, like sitting up, walking, running, and playing sports. This is where you get to play a part in how many calories you burn each day. If you lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle and still eat as much as you did when you used to be active, you are to blame for your weight gain – not your metabolism. If your “slow metabolism” has been the scapegoat for your weight problems, here’s your wake up call.

It's a new year. If you need to make some changes, do it! And, if you need help making those changes, ask! There are so many good trainers and nutritionists out there. Save your pennies and hire them. You can do it!