How To Lose Weight Slow Metabolism

In everyday life, it tends to be used as an umbrella term for various weight loss obstacles. This usage is not exactly scientifically accurate – but it does describe a real problem.

Some people lose weight quickly and easily. Others struggle with every small step. Why is that? And what can you do about it, if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones?

In this article, we are going to look at realistic ways to speed up your metabolism, for better health and faster weight loss.

What Is Metabolism And How To Boost It

Metabolism is a complex process, which enables your body to process and use up nutrients from food. Everything you eat gets either converted to energy for your body’s activities, or turned into building blocks for tissues (muscle, fat, bones, skin, and inner organs).

In layman terms, slow metabolism usually means that your body prefers to conserve energy rather than to spend it. Excess calories convert to body fat at lightning speed. Trying to shed this stored fat is excruciating.

People who are blessed with fast metabolism don’t store body fat as easily. They can slim down quickly if they decide, which is infuriating really nice for them.

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One way to measure metabolism is the basal metabolic rate (BMR). BMR is the number of calories you burn per day, without doing any extra activity. These calories power your body’s basic functions like pumping blood and breathing. BMR is the calories you would burn up if you simply stayed in bed all day.

Genetics and hormonal balance also play an important role, but in more complicated ways – there are no simple rules of thumb to estimate how these factors might affect you.

Unlike the never-ending debates about the best diet, there is a definite consensus regarding anaerobic exercise. Experts agree that we all need it, whether trying to lose weight or not.

How To Lose Weight Even If You Have Slow Metabolism

Strength training is the only way to grow muscle, which will, in turn, increase your basal metabolic rate. It has other significant benefits too – for example, stronger bones, lower risk of injuries and improved mobility.

You don’t have to spend much money or join the gym to get started. You can strength train at home with minimal equipment, or just with your own bodyweight.

Some women worry that doing weights will make them “bulky”. That’s a complete 100% myth – and a very dangerous one, as it puts off women who need it most from trying it out.

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Female bodybuilders are bulky because of testosterone injections and steroids. It is impossible for an average woman to grow those scary bulging muscles naturally, even if you were to spend hours at the gym every day.

Strength training will make you look slimmer and more toned. You will look better even if you still have excess body fat. As you grow stronger, shedding those extra unwanted pounds will become easier and easier.

Another persistent myth is that low-intensity cardio is a good way to lose weight. People spend hours slowly pounding the pavements, hoping to burn extra calories.

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Sadly, this can do more harm than good. Long sessions of low-intensity exercise can have the same effect as sudden calorie restriction – your body just goes into energy conservation mode.

If you enjoy running, opt for shorter periods of higher-intensity exercise like sprints or interval training. This will have a better effect on your metabolism than excruciatingly long slow jogs.

If you are reading this website, you are probably already on a low-carb diet or thinking about it. That’s good news for your metabolism!

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But there are scientific studies – as well as plenty of anecdotal evidence – that low-carb high-fat diets are safer for your metabolism than calorie restriction or low-fat diets.

High amounts of fat consumed on LCHF diet seem to reassure your body that there is no starvation situation. So you can shed pounds without your body going into panic mode.

High amounts of fat and protein fill you up faster and reduce hunger, so you are less likely to feel ravenous between meals.

Ways To Slow Down Your Metabolism!

According to Dr Atkins, certain prescription medications can affect your metabolism. His list included hormone replacement therapies, anti-depressants, insulin stimulators, anti-arthritis medications, and beta-blockers.

When on medications, you should also discuss your weight loss plans (diet and exercise) with your doctor, or another qualified health professional.

Combining strength training and LCHF diet will give your metabolism a solid boost. You can make a few further improvements through supplements and metabolism-boosting superfoods.

The #1 Cause Of A Slow Metabolism

But please note these are like the cherry on the cake – not the cake itself (please excuse the high-carb metaphor). They might give you a small further advantage, but nothing like as fundamental as strength training.

Green tea has a stellar reputation, which for once is fully deserved. It helps to boost fat-burning metabolism and regulates blood glucose, which can, in turn, reduce sugar cravings. It is also a great antioxidant and a source of caffeine. For a more concentrated version, try Japanese matcha powder. If you don’t like the taste of green tea, get green tea extract as a supplement.

Spices are also good for boosting your metabolism, suppressing appetite, and balancing blood glucose. Add these spices to your food whenever you can:

There Are Easy Ways To Boost Metabolism And Lose Weight

Caffeine gives you an energy boost and can help to speed up metabolism. Caffeinated drinks are an obvious and popular choice, but caffeine supplements are also available.

Multivitamins help to cover any potential gaps in your nutrient intake, especially if you are on a very low-carb diet. Lack of essential vitamins or minerals can have a negative effect on your metabolism. A daily multivitamin is a simple insurance policy against that.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policyWhen it comes to weight loss, people want the weight off - and FAST! This is understandable. Extra weight can be uncomfortable, lower confidence, and cause worry over its health implications.

Is It Possible To Lose Weight If I Have A Slow Metabolism?

However, I want to emphasize that slow weight loss is not only healthier and more gentle on the body, but more likely to last long-term.

Weight regain is the elephant in the room when it comes to weight loss with the vast majority of those who lose weight regaining it back and often even more (time frames for regain vary but usually occur over one to five years).

One of the problems is dieting. The concept of dieting is reflected in deprivation and restriction - things that are not only disruptive to the body but are unable to be maintained. Although this can help shed pounds relatively quickly, this sets the body up for failure. What has also been found in many studies of restrictive diets that result in significant weight loss, is that metabolism slows down. But the worse part is that the metabolism often does not return to normal even when normal eating patterns return. This not only leads to weight regain but makes it harder to keep weight off since fewer daily calories are consistently needed to counteract the slowed metabolism.

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Therefore, the most sensible approach to weight loss is slow, incremental, and sustainable habit changes that don't deviate from a normal amount of daily calories for your height, weight, age, and activity level. You want to take time to experiment with small changes and always be adjusting to find what works for you. Only do things that you could conceivably do as part of the way you eat long-term.

And this brings us to one of the key points: long-term weight loss involves an eating plan that does not focus on food CALORIES but on FOOD quality. I don't think I can emphasize this enough. Cutting calories does not work. Maintaining normal caloric intake with QUALITY food allows the body to adjust in a good way, without slowing metabolism, and without being thrown out of whack. High quality, natural foods without added sugars and processed grains help the body burn fat efficiently - even when caloric intake is normal.

Not having to restrict calories to lose weight long-term is great. The caveat is that adopting a diet that is truly high quality and learning how to navigate a food environment that makes it difficult to eat healthy food affordably and conveniently takes time! But with this investment in time and a little bit of patience (ok, A LOT of patience!), you are setting yourself up for success in the weight loss game in the long run.

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What also takes time is ensuring that the rest of you daily habits support long-term weight loss. This includes physical activity, solid sleep, and stress management, among other things.Discussing metabolism has become more mainstream over the years, especially in the health and wellness world, which is why it's important to fully understand what metabolism is and how your metabolism works. If you have a slow metabolism (we've got more on how to determine that in a bit), Holly Lofton, MD, director of the medical weight management program at NYU, explained what you can do to lose weight and boost your metabolism. But before you get any further, we've got to break down what