Quiz: Has Your Metabolism Shifted?

Concerned about your shifting metabolism? You should be. We spend so much time analyzing how many calories we burn at the gym as we work hard to get into that seemingly elusive "fat burning zone", but Clinical Nutritionist and Chiropractic Sports Physician, Dr. Len Lopez would like you to question, what you are burning the other 23 hours of the day.

Do you know if throughout the day your metabolism is predominantly burning carbohydrates and proteins (lean muscle) or do you burn calories from the breakdown of fats for energy? Dr. Len Lopez has developed a quiz to help you answer these questions and to find out how far you metabolism has shifted.

Take the quiz below to determine if you are living in the Fat Burning Zone or if your metabolism is under-performing.

Mental check all that apply:

• Crave sweets/coffee in mid-morning/afternoon
• Hungry between meals
• Mid-morning and/or afternoon slumps
• Irritable before meals or if meals are delayed
• Get shaky or light-headed if meals are delayed
• Fatigue that eating relieves
• Awaken a few hours after sleep, hard to get back to sleep
• Excessive appetite
• Problems with low blood sugar or hypoglycemia
• Afternoon headaches
• You skip meals
• Problems with memory, concentration and focus
• Eat sweets, refined foods and fast foods
• Family history of diabetes
• Excessive urination, excessive thirst
• Fasting serum or plasma glucose greater than 140 mg/dl
• Overweight by 40 or more pounds

Total your score then read about your score results below.

Score: 1 - 2. Your metabolism is probably functioning properly. Blood sugar issues are NOT a major factor and you are doing a good job of staying in your 'fat-burning' zone throughout the day.

Score: 3 - 8. Occasional blood sugar issues may be affecting your energy, ability to lose weight, cravings, etc. You are probably NOT burning fats for energy and instead your metabolism is more often burning carbohydrates and proteins. Blood sugar and dietary choices need to be addressed.

It looks like your metabolism is working against you. Blood sugar problems are a definite problem and need to be addressed. You are probably NOT burning calories from stored body fat. Blood sugar imbalances will further fatigue and exhaust your adrenal glands, as well as contribute to your inability to lose weight, control cravings, increase blood pressure, mood swings, etc. The human body is designed or prefers to burn fats for energy over carbs and protein. In fact, you produce more than two and a half times more energy when you burn fats for fuel over carbs and protein.This is another reason why fatigue and weight gain go hand in hand as you are burning the wrong fuel.Dr. Len Lopez is a Clinical Nutritionist, Chiropractic Sports Physician, and Strength and Conditioning Coach.  He is the author of "To Burn Or Not To Burn, Fat Is The Question" and creator of the WorkHorse Fitness Trainer. He blends both sports medicine and natural medicine and his years of clinical practice has taught him that "it's about training and dieting smarter, not longer or harder."