How To Change A Slow Metabolism

Losing weight is never easy. And, for many people, a slow metabolism only makes the challenge of weight loss even more difficult.

You see, if your metabolism is slow, it really slows down the weight loss process. And, your metabolism is subject to slowing down even further when you reduce calories significantly, making the difficult weight loss even more difficult.

The 5 Reasons You May Have A Slow Metabolism

1. Lack of Exercise

Exercise is great for the metabolism. It keeps your body using fuel optimally. To speed up a slow metabolism, get out and move. Even if you just take a 20 or 30 minute walk, it can give your metabolism a good boost if you’ve been a couch potato.

2. Starvation Diets

When you diet to extreme, eating far fewer calories than your body needs to survive, you send your body into starvation mode. When your body goes into starvation mode, it believes you’re in the midst of a famine, and slows the metabolism even further to survive.

So, sometimes extreme dieting backfires and you lose less weight than if you had eaten more sensibly. Lots of yo-yo dieting can, over time, slow the metabolism even when you’re not dieting.

3. Lack of Muscle

Muscle burns more calories every day, even when resting, than fat. So, if your body is more fat than muscle, you’re going to have a slow metabolism.

Adding some strength training to your workouts is a great way to increase muscle mass and speed the metabolism.

4. Getting Older Can Slow The Metabolism

It’s a fact of life that our metabolism slows down as we get older. There’s really nothing you can do about what age does to your metabolism.

However, by working hard on the factors that you can control, such as muscle mass and exercise, you can make up for the way aging tries to slow you down.

5. Thyroid Problems

A thyroid that is not functioning properly can cause slow metabolism. The thyroid is a gland in the neck that regulates some hormones and the way you burn calories.

If your metabolism slows dramatically in a short period of time, it could be due to a thyroid problem. Your doctor can perform a simple test to check the functioning of your thyroid.

5 Tips to Boost a Slow Metabolism

1. Exercise

Get a bit of exercise every day. To really speed a slow metabolism, you need to work hard enough to break a sweat for 20 or 30 minutes. As your fitness increases, working even harder will keep your metabolism going strong.

2. Eat Enough Calories During The Day

Get enough calories in a day to prevent your body from going into starvation mode. Even if you’re on a strict diet, women should not go below 1200 calories a day and men should not go below 1500.

3. Lift Weights To Increase Muscle Density

Adding muscle mass can help you repair a slow metabolism for the long haul.

4. Eat A Good Breakfast

When you sleep you have a slow metabolism. It will not speed up significantly in the morning until you either eat or exercise. Having a good breakfast is a quick and easy way to get your slow metabolism moving.

5. Eat Metabolism Boosting Foods

Hot peppers, green tea and cinnamon all have the effect of temporarily speeding up the metabolism. Make them a part of your daily diet, and you could see your slow metabolism speed up without any additional effort.