8 Things that Slow Down Your Metabolism

How many times have you thought to yourself, "I can't lose weight because my metabolism is slow." How do you know if your metabolism is actually slow? Can it be fixed?  Is the problem really your metabolism?

Simply put, metabolism the way your body converts the food and drink you consume for energy,
and is usually measured in calories. We can determine how many calories your body burns each
day by plugging information into a variety of formulas that have been designed to measure this.
As there is no single calculation that is considered the best, we recommend that you do all of
the formulas, which will give you a range in which your metabolism may fall.

1. INCONSISTENT MEAL TIME

When your meals times come at regularly spaced intervals, your body uses up the calories for
fuel and burns more calories in between meals. If you’re eating pattern is erratic, your body gets
confused and isn't quite sure when the next meal is coming, so it goes into conservation mode.
Calorie burn is reduced and more food is put into storage (fat cells and glycogen stores.

2. GETTING TOO LITTLE SLEEP

Numerous studies have shown that sleep is a key factor in gaining and losing weight. When
you do not get enough sleep, hormones that control hunger and fullness go haywire. Too much
ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and too little leptin (the fullness hormone) get produced, which
leaves you feeling hungry a" day and you lose the ability to know when you are full. Plus, more
cortisol gets produced, which increases cravings for starchy, sugary and fatty foods. Recent
studies on chronic sleep deprivation suggest that the calories you eat are burned less
efficiently. Aim for 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

3. NOT EATING ENOUGH

If you are "dieting" to lose weight, eating too few calories can actually backfire and keep you
from achieving your goal. Yes, creating a calorie deficit will help you lose weight, but there is c
point in each individual that cutting calories too low will put the body into starvation mode and
slow down metabolism to keep you alive. Make sure you get enough calories and a balance of

macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) to keep your metabolism from crashing.

4. SKIPPING OUT ON STRENGTH TRAINING

Most people make the mistake of only doing cardio (aerobic) exercise because it burns a good
amount of calories while it's being done. But after the exercise is over, calorie burn returns
to resting levels. Strength training is a key component of metabolism because it is directly
linked to muscle mass. The more active muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolic
rate. Whether you lift weights, use resistance bands or use your own body weight for
resistance, resistance creates micro tears in the muscle tissue. As your body repairs these
tears, muscle tissue grows and requires more calories to stay alive. One of the best ways to
strength train to get the best response from your muscle is to focus on the eccentric (or
lowering) portion of any move. Eccentric moves are more muscularly damaging and require
more effort to repair than concentric movements (the lifting portion of a move), and thus
increase metabolism more. So, slow down when you strength train to increase your
metabolism.

5. SITTING TOO MUCH

If you exercise an hour a day, but spend the other 23 hours sitting or lying down, your
metabolism will slow down. Sitting for longer than 20 minutes can put your body into a more
relaxed, non-energy-burning state. If your job keeps you chained to a desk or behind the
wheel, get up once an hour to move around for a few minutes. Periodically moving is shown to
help decrease triglycerides, blood sugar, waistlines and cholesterol as well as cause a small
spike in metabolism.

6. WHAT YOU DRINK

Consider this tip a two-for-one: Drinking too little water leads to dehydration, which can
cause you to burn up to 2'Yo fewer calories. All your body's cellular functions require water, so
sip it often. Drinking ice cold water can increase your metabolism by a few calories as your
body heats the water to body temperature. Aim for at least 2 liters of water a day; drink
more during hot and humid weather and when you sweat. At the other extreme, too much
alcohol can impact your metabolism because excessive alcohol causes your liver to focus on
breaking down alcohol molecules instead of burning fat. Plus, the calories from alcohol can
add up quickly and impact weight.

7. YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH CALCIUM

The mineral best known for building strong bones plays a key role in fat metabolism, which
determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat. Some of the best dietary sources
of calcium come from dairy-organic milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese-which also
benefit muscles because they contain whey and casein, proteins that help to build muscle and

Prevent muscle breakdown. Research from McMaster University showed that women who
consumed more dairy lost more fat and gained more muscle mass than those who consumed less.

8. STRESS

We've saved the best for last. Stress is probably the number-one factor impacting metabolism.
It increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite and makes us reach
for comfort foods. It can decrease our desire for exercise, even though exercise is a powerful
stress-buster. Stress slows digestion, causing a lower need to metabolize calories. Plus, stress
can impact both the quality of sleep and number hours we sleep, which, as described earlier, can
decrease metabolism and promote weight gain.