Have you been trying to lose weight with little success? If you have this problem some things can slow down your metabolism for sure. By taking a look at them you can know what changes you must make. You will then be on your way to getting that great body you are longing for.
Your metabolism is how your body changes the food you eat into energy. Many chemical reactions occur in your body as this happens.
When you want to lose extra pounds or keep them off forever your metabolism must be kept high.
Let us now take a deeper look at 13 of the factors that could be causing you to have a slow metabolism.
1. Lack of Sleep May Affect Your Metabolism
If you are not getting at least eight hours of sleep nightly this can affect your metabolism. You can also gain weight. This occurs especially around your belly area.
A study has shown that lack of sleep can even cause diabetes in some people. Not sleeping enough can cause your cortisol levels to increase. Insulin resistance can then come about which may cause Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
For these reasons you should do your best to make sure that you are getting the amount of rest your body really needs.
If you want to lose weight having a good nightly rest is a must. When you do this a variety of metabolic changes occur in your body which helps with weight loss.
When you are sleeping your body needs the energy to repair your cells, circulate your blood, and for breathing. These can all affect your basal metabolic rate
2. Gender Can Be a Reason for Your Slow Metabolism
I know this does not seem fair, but your gender can cause some problems with your metabolism.
Women have a slower metabolism than men. They tend to have more body fat, lighter bones, and less muscle.
3. Stress Impacts your Metabolism and Increases Weight Gain
We all know it is impossible to avoid stress from coming into our lives. When you however experience chronic stress for a long time your body can really be affected. This is why you must reduce your stress level quickly.
Increasing your exercise regime can help.
The stress hormone cortisol is increased and leads to weight gain. If you want to lose weight or not slow your metabolism down say no to stress.
4. An Unhealthy Diet Might Be Slowing Down your Metabolism
If you make it a habit to not eat healthily you can also slow down your metabolism.
Make it a habit to eat foods from all the food groups. If you follow The Mediterranean Diet you can be sure of getting all the nutrients that your body needs.
For example, if you eat junk food almost every day that will slow down your metabolism. We know this unhealthy type of food usually has many calories. With a slow metabolism, your body cannot burn those extra calories. This then leads to you gaining more weight.
Other problems that can occur if you eat processed foods are insulin resistance and pre-diabetes
5. Lack of Exercise Can Slow down Your Metabolism
Activity is one of those things that helps to burn off excess calories. Whether it be going to the gym, taking the stairs, or doing work at home the metabolism of your body will increase.
By living an inactive lifestyle your metabolism will become sluggish.
When you exercise it is great for your body overall.
Keep in mind that by moving often, you will get great results in losing weight. You will also be receiving a healthy body.
6. Not Eating Enough Protein Can Be Slowing Down Your Metabolism
Eating more protein can help you lose weight. It causes you to burn more calories. Even while you sleep it is still working. This then means that your metabolism rate is increased and works great for you as you try to lose weight.
If your body does not get enough protein, you will lose muscle mass. This can then cause you to lose your physical strength. Your metabolism will also slow down.
If your cells are not getting enough oxygen from a lack of protein, you can even get anemia.
7. Drinking too Many Sugary Drinks Can Be Affecting your Metabolism
Drinking too many sugar-sweetened drinks can lead to weight gain. Other metabolic problems like high blood pressure can happen also.
The excess calories will be stored as fat and will cause you to gain extra weight. You can replace them with fruit-flavored water. Some tasty fruits to put in your water are lemons, strawberries, or lime.
Adding fruits and vegetables which contain lots of water is great too. These would include watermelons and cucumbers.
8. Diabetes Can slow Down your Metabolism
You must always keep in mind that the metabolism of those with diabetes is different than those without this disease. For example, those with type 1 diabetes have very low insulin levels in their bodies. On the other hand, when someone has type 2 diabetes they experience insulin resistance.
For these reasons, if you have diabetes you may have a slow metabolism. The best way to deal with this is to eat well and keep your diabetes as stable as your doctor suggests.
9. Having No Muscle Mass Is Bad for your Metabolism
When your muscle mass is increased your metabolism is increased. Your body then burns even more calories.
To gain muscle mass try lifting some weights. If you are a beginner do start with light weights and then increase as you get stronger.
Do also make sure that you get the needed information on how this should be done safely. DO NOT forget to check with your health care provider before starting any exercise program.
10. An Underactive Thyroid Can Slow your Metabolism Down
Having an underactive thyroid can cause you to gain weight. The hormones that this gland release is what controls your metabolism. They also regulate how your body burns the food you eat for energy.
Not having enough of these hormones will then slow down the metabolism of your body. This condition is known as hypothyroidism.
Some of the symptoms are tiredness, dry skin, joint pain, and constipation.
11. Your Age Is One of The Things That Can Be Slowing Down Your Metabolism
The metabolism of our bodies slows down as we age. The rate at which our food is broken down then decreases. When you reach 20 years old it reduces by 10 percent every ten years.
There is then a loss of muscle tissue. The nervous system and hormonal changes also occur.
Unfortunately, because women have a slower metabolism than men we often gain fat easier at this time. This then means we have to work even harder at keeping our bodies in tip-top shape.
12. Your Metabolism Might Be Slower Because You are Dieting Too Much
Are you always on the newest fad diet? Many of these diets allow you to eat only a few calories. Yes, you will lose weight quickly. However not giving your body enough calories can cause your metabolism to slow down.
When this occurs your body realizes that it is getting less food. It starts to then burn calories off at a slower rate.
13. Obesity is not Great for your Metabolism
Carrying extra pounds is never good for you. It is also not good for your metabolism. By having too much weight we know many other health problems can occur. These are illnesses like heart problems and strokes, osteoarthritis, some types of cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
Getting the extra weight off might mean exercising more, eating healthier, and so on. Whatever it takes keep your metabolism high and avoid getting obese.
Conclusion
If any of these 13 factors might be slowing down your metabolism it is time to make some changes. Keep in mind that it is quite easy to gain weight but harder to get it off. So as much as you can keep your metabolism as high as possible. You will then lose some weight or keep it off forever. Choose to have a healthier body.
