If you’ve suspected for a while that your metabolism has slowed down, you could be right. According to a recent research paper called Energy requirements and aging, scientists have found that the aging process is usually accompanied by a decline in the body’s metabolic rate. Your lifestyle choices may contribute to the slow-down, as well, however. While there’s not much that you can do about the decline that comes with aging, it’s completely in your power to change bad habits that slow down your metabolism. Here are eight habits that you should watch out for.
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You miss breakfast
Many people intuitively believe that skipping breakfast actually helps them lose weight. It’s the exact opposite that actually happens, however. When you eat a nutritious breakfast, you tell your body that there are plenty of calories to burn, and there is no need to economize. This puts your body’s metabolism into high gear.
When you neglect to eat your breakfast, your body takes it as a sign that food is scarce. It goes into conservation mode, expending less energy with each passing day. The less the energy that you spend, the more fat tissue you put on. It’s always a good idea to eat a hearty breakfast to get your body to understand that it should stop conserving energy, and burn all the calories that it needs.
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You choose the wrong menu for breakfast
It isn’t enough to commit to grabbing just anything that comes to mind, for breakfast. Eating a couple of donuts or muffins on the drive to work isn’t really breakfast. When you eat in this way, you only make a crash inevitable at some point later on. A healthy breakfast doesn’t have to be difficult to make. Substantial fiber and protein; bread with peanut butter, boiled eggs, milk or yogurt are the kinds of things that you need to eat for breakfast.
You sit too much
Sitting for extended periods of time can bring your metabolism down to a crawl. It can raise your blood sugar levels and your blood pressure, and can make it hard for your body to break down its stores of fat. If all you do is get out of bed, sit in the car, sit at your desk and then sit on the couch back at home, you set yourself up for slow metabolism. You need to get a little exercise throughout the day.
You don’t do any strength training
Cardio, while great, only helps you burn calories when you actually work out. When you finish doing your cardio, your calorie burn rate quickly returns to normal levels. Things are much better when you try resistance training or strength training. Such exercise considerably stresses your muscles. Afterward, as your muscles repair themselves, they keep your calorie consumption rate elevated for hours. The more the active muscle tissue you have, the greater the calorie burn rate. A pound of muscle burns about five more calories a day than a pound of fat. It’s important to do strength training.
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There isn’t enough protein in your diet
Protein is a nutrient that nourishes your muscles. It helps you feel filled after a meal, and has an important role to play in any effort to maintain a healthy weight level. When you have too little protein in your diet, you tend to have trouble maintaining muscle mass. The less muscle you have, the lower your rate of metabolism. If you want to slow down your metabolism, you need to include enough protein in your diet.
You don’t sleep enough
A single night of poor sleep can be enough to make you feel out of sorts, both physically and mentally. If you fail to get enough sleep over several nights, it can slow down your metabolism and even cause hormonal imbalances that make it hard for you maintain a healthy level of metabolism. You need to prioritize getting enough sleep.
You don’t stay hydrated
In a recent study named Water-Induced Thermogenesis, researchers have discovered that drinking two glasses of water can raise the body’s rate of metabolism by 30 percent for as long as an hour. When you drink enough water throughout the day, it can help you burn more calories all day long. It’s important to stay hydrated.
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You are under stress all day
Your body responds to stress by pumping out a hormone called cortisol. The effects of this hormone make you seek comfort in food, make it harder for you to sleep, and make you want to stay inactive. Each one of these effects is linked to lowered metabolism. While you can’t always control the amount of stress that you feel, making an effort may help. The less stressed you feel, the higher your rate of metabolism.
Trying to create the right conditions for a normal rate of metabolism is one of the best things that you can do to help with your weight loss goals. A good metabolism rate helps ensure that you burn calories even when you are at rest. You need a healthy metabolism to effectively lose weight.