Weight loss and metabolism has a link, so it is given high priority by every fitness enthusiast. Most of the people try to boost metabolism to get the maximum benefits from it.
To make metabolism work better many things are tried. But still, most of them complain about their slow metabolism and weight gain.
To solve the problem of metabolism slowdown, this article will focus on mistakes that are responsible for it.
In this article, I will list down the most common mistakes that are responsible for the slowdown of metabolism. With exploring those mistakes, you will learn simple fix. By knowing the mistakes and fix, you can improve your metabolism for better health and faster weight loss.
Before starting with the problem and solution for slow metabolism it’s time to know the truth.
Metabolism is not that complex as it is presented. Your whole day activity, routines, and habits have a major impact on it. If you want to get maximum benefit from it, you have to make a better choice.
An easy choice is a reason for slowdown; while little effort can supercharge it. Little effort doesn’t mean they are tough, but it seems hard at the beginning.
Let’s explore the mistakes that are slowing metabolism and ruining your weight loss and health.
1. You Eat Few Calories
For weight loss, it is always said to lower your calorie intake. People usually try it and complain about slow weight loss and weight gain.
If you are facing the same problem after cutting your calorie then you should avoid cutting your calorie intake.
Cutting calorie is not that bad, in fact, it can help you lose weight faster. But to lose weight and better metabolism you need to avoid cutting calorie intake than the requirement.
Fact 1:
A calorie is the source of energy that is required for body function like blood circulation, digestion, absorption, breathing, etc… Lowering calorie can cut the energy supply for these vital processes that affect health and weight loss progress.
As you cut down calorie from your diet, there will be scarcity of energy. So, brain signals the body to slowdown the metabolism to conserve energy for the proper functioning of the vital process.
Fact 2:
It’s found, low calorie intake help people to lose weight.
By cutting 500 calories daily, you will lose 1 pound weekly. The rate of weight loss is more with lowering more calories. Due to this particular reason, many are switching to calorie deficit diet and losing weight.
But… Is it the worth?
After a successful weight loss with calorie deficit diet, those people quickly gain weight.
Why?
By cutting calories, metabolism becomes sluggish and this effect stays longer than expected. So, when you stop the diet it will take long to boost your metabolism and in that time you will gain the weight was lost during weight loss program.
It is the major cause of failure of most weight loss diet. You will lose weight quickly while the weight gain will be at the same rate.
Fact 3:
One of the best things that our body do is, it help to maintain weight without adding extra effort.
But..
Cutting calorie can disturb those process that will slowdown metabolism and weight loss. The body need a certain amount of energy to carry the process smoothly. If it lacks required calorie, your hard gained muscles are breakdown to supply energy for the vital process.
These muscles are responsible for raising metabolic rate to burn calorie even your resting. By maintaining muscle mass you can lose lots of calorie without trying.
Also…
Calorie deficit diet will increase the loss hard gained muscle and slower metabolism that will make tough to lose weight.
Solution:
The problem is quite complex, so the solution might be.
Firstly don’t cut calories quickly to a minimum. If you want to lose weight then you should lower it but not avoid it.
For basic metabolic function, body need around 1200-1400 calories. Lowering calorie intake than 1200 is a sign of calorie deficit diet.
Daily calorie intake recommendation by National heart, lung, and blood are:
Women: 1200-1400
Men: 1500-1800
Your calorie intake might differ as per your weight, muscle mass, physical activity, etc., so make a better choice.
Secondly, don’t quit your calorie intake suddenly. Go slowly to prevent slowdown of metabolism due to calorie scarcity. By slowly decreasing calorie intake, your brain won’t notice the effect. But don’t lower your intake than required. Eat the calorie required and you will get a faster result.
Multiple studies have proved that reducing calorie till 890 to 1114 has slow down the metabolism, leading to slow down of metabolism and calorie burn at rest. (1, 2)
2. You Are Not Eating Much Protein
For weight loss or weight management, protein is the most important nutrient suggest.
Protein is known for its satiety that makes you feel full for long instead of eating less. It is also found to increase calorie consumption that is responsible for the increase in metabolic rate. Metabolism increase due to the thermic effect caused by burning of food.
Protein is known for its high thermic effect, which needs more calories to break down.
A 100-gram calories protein food will only release 70-80 calories. It may not look a big number, but in long term it will be very helpful in increasing metabolism, losing weight and weight management.
A study found 45 percent excess calories from the high-protein diet were stored as muscle while 95 percent of excess from the low-protein diet.
The study suggests for better metabolism, 25-45 percent calorie should come from protein food. (3)
Increasing protein has a high impact on metabolic rate as it increases muscle that is responsible for increased metabolic rate. By adding protein you can prevent muscle loss due to aging which is one of the reason for metabolism slow down and weight gain.
Solution:
Protein intake differs as per personal needs. Here is a chart…
- Sedentary work – 0.8-1 gm/kg
- Build Muscle – 1.5 – 2.2 gm/kg
- Endurance Athlete – 1.2 – 1.4 gm/kg
You should consume 1.2 gram/kg protein for better metabolism. Also, you should try to balance protein intake in every meal.
Wrap up: Increasing protein in your diet will keep you fell full thus lowering your calorie intake and increase calorie burn thus increasing metabolic rate. It also helps to maintain muscle density that is responsible for increase resting metabolic rate.
3. You Are Skipping Fiber
After protein, another nutrient highly recommended for weight loss and satiety is fiber.
If you are missing fiber in your diet, then missing the major of benefits for weight loss from food.
Fiber is not known much for boosting metabolism but it is great for metabolic maintenance. It is responsible for controlling ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger and calorie intake.
Like protein, fiber also needs more calorie for digestion that increases metabolic rate even at rest.
If you want to lose weight then it is important to have high fiber in your diet. They aren’t digestible but increase calorie burn that benefits both weight loss and metabolic maintenance.
Solution:
Include fiber rich food in every meal to get the better result.
Wrap up: Add fiber-rich foods to boost resting metabolic rate and calorie for successful weight loss and weight management for long period.
4. Sedentary Lifestyle
Metabolism and lifestyle have a deep relation. A sedentary lifestyle is responsible for the major cause of weight gain and obesity.
A sedentary lifestyle with low physical activity has been a reason for the slowdown of metabolism.
Solution:
By increasing physical activity you can raise your metabolic rate and increase calorie burn.
Sitting whole day at the office won’t increase calorie burn but by trying standing desk you can increase your calorie consumption.
Like this, you can make many other healthy lifestyle changes that increase your physical activity that will help you lose weight and maintain with ease.
- Prefer to take walk if your office or marketplace in nearby,
- Take steps instead of escalator,
- etc.,
Wrap up: Make small but better lifestyle that will keep your metabolic rate high in long term.
5. Not Getting enough Sleep
If you lack a healthy sleep then you adding health risk and also slowing down your metabolism. A healthy sleep is required to stay protected from many of health problems like diabetes, heart disease, depression, etc. (4)
Lack of sleep can leads to weight gain as it cause hormonal changes that are responsible for controlling hunger and maintaining satiety.
Due to lack of sleep, hunger hormone ghrelin increases, that promote craving for food while it reduces satiety hormone leptin. By increased ghrelin hormone, you will not be able to make right food choice and search for an easy energy source.
Lack of sleep lowers the resting metabolic rate that lower body energy which is responsible slow metabolism throughout the day.
Solution:
As recommended you should get a healthy sleep for minimum 7-8 hours a day. Not less than 7 or more than 8 hours.
By maintaining proper balance in the sleeping pattern you will feel energetic throughout the day that will have a great impact on metabolic rate throughout the day.
Have a healthy sleep, don’t let it harm your health and slowdown your weight loss.
6. You Don’t Follow Fitness Routine
Fitness routine is the best way to stay healthy that protects from health issues like heart diseases, diabetes, etc. It also boosts weight loss and helps in weight management.
Fitness routine also plays important role in increasing and maintaining metabolic rate.
It is tough to maintain a healthy metabolic rate if you keep losing muscle mass. As you know that muscle mass is required for maintaining metabolic rate and calorie for weight loss. As you age there will be more muscle loss thus degrading metabolic rate.
Solution:
Strength training or resistance training are the best way to increase and preserve muscle density. With higher muscle density you will have high metabolic rate.
7. You Don’t Stay Hydrated
And the last mistake that leads slow metabolism is dehydration.
Water is the most important nutrient that is required by cells for its proper functioning. For every cell to function properly, respiration, blood circulation, digestion, etc,; water is required. Lack of water will directly slowdown the metabolic rate as these functions will slow down.
Solution:
You should increase your water consumption to prevent slowdown in normal body function, which is responsible for better health and metabolism.
In a study, after drinking water the resting energy expenditure increased by 25-35% for 1 hour. (5, 6)
In obese children resting energy expenditure also increased by 18%. (7)
Cold water is also found effective to slightly raise calorie consumption to warm water till normal body temperature.
You can start your day by drinking a glass of water to kick start body function and metabolism.
Wrap up: To understand the benefit of water there is no need of research. By staying hydrated you will burn calorie as well as stay from multiple health issues
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