Your metabolism is everything that happens in your body including the building of substances (proteins, muscle, hair, nails, storage fat, bones) and the breaking down of other substances (food, fat). The anabolic process (building up) and the catabolic (breaking down) process happen simultaneously in the body to ensure that the body functions and food is used and got rid of effectively. If you imagine the body as an engine the metabolism governs our engine speed
What effects our Metabolism?
Our BMR is our basal metabolic rate which is our resting metabolic rate. This refers to the amount of calories we require when just resting.
Our level of activity plays a large part in our metabolic rate.
The thermic effect of food also effects metabolism. This refers to the amount of calories that are required to digest and process the food we eat.
The final and smallest contributor to our metabolism is something facultative thermogenesis, which is the heat-producing effect of things like fidgeting, or our reaction to cold and stress.