5 Reasons Your Metabolism Is Slow And What To Do
Have you found yourself feeling more tired than usual? But you shrug it off as just being the longer hours at work or in your business that you’re doing…
Or perhaps you’ve noticed you’re always feeling cold (even when most of the people around you are not)?
Or maybe you've found your clothes are a little more snug than they used to be but you haven’t really changed your diet??
Does your digestion seem a bit more “sluggish” than normal?
If any of these seem too familiar this might be a sign that your metabolism is slow.
But why does this happen? And why do metabolic rates slow down?
What can slow my metabolism?
Metabolism includes all of the biochemical reactions in your body that use nutrients and oxygen to create energy. And there are lots of factors that affect how quickly (or slowly) it works, i.e. your “metabolic rate” (which is measured in calories).
But don't worry – we know that metabolic rate is much more complicated than the old adage “calories in calories out”! In fact it's so complicated I'm only going to list a few of the common things that can slow it down.
Here are some examples of common reasons why metabolic rates can slow down:
low thyroid hormones
your history of dieting
your size and body composition
your activity level
lack of sleep
I’ll briefly touch on each one below and I promise to give you better advice than just to “eat less and exercise more”.
Low thyroid hormones
Your thyroid is the master controller of your metabolism. When it produces fewer hormones your metabolism slows down. The thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) tell the cells in your body when to use more energy and become more metabolically active. Ideally it should work to keep your metabolism just right. But there are several things that can affect it and throw it off course. Things like autoimmune diseases and mineral deficiencies (e.g. iodine or selenium) are a common one.
Tip: Talk with your doctor about having your thyroid hormones tested.
Your history of dieting
When people lose weight their metabolic rate often slows down. This is because the body senses that food may be scarce and adapts by trying to continue with all the necessary life functions and do it all with less food. It is actually a survival mechanism and the response can be so strong that the body will try and hold on to the weight (often going back to where you were before you started the diet) and is known as the ‘famine reaction’!
While dieting can lead to a reduction fat it can unfortunately also lead to a reduction in the amount of muscle you have. As you may be aware, more muscle means faster resting metabolic rate which I wrote about here.
Tip: Make sure you're eating enough food to fuel your body without overdoing it.
Your size and body composition
In general, larger people have faster metabolic rates. This is because it takes more energy to fuel a larger body than a smaller one.
However, you already know that gaining weight is rarely the best strategy for increasing your metabolism.
Muscles that actively move and do work need energy. Even muscles at rest burn more calories than fat. This means that the amount of energy your body uses depends partly on the amount of lean muscle mass you have.
Tip: Incorporate some weight training into your routine to help increase your muscle mass.
Which leads us to...
Your activity level
Aerobic exercise temporarily increases your metabolic rate. Doing this type of exercise allows your muscles to burn fuel to move and do “work”! This is evident in the heat produced and the result of you getting hotter the longer you work out aerobically i.e. jogging, walking.
Even little things can add up. Think incremental movement like walking a bit further than you usually do; using a stand up desk instead of sitting all day; or taking the stairs instead of the lift can all contribute to more activity in your day.
Tip: Incorporate some kind of purposeful movement into your day. Take frequent breaks from your desk even if it’s to do a quick walk around the block.
Lack of sleep
There is plenty of research that shows the influence that sleep has on your metabolic rate. The general consensus is to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
Tip: Try to create a routine that allows at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
So what do you think? Could any of these areas in your life do with some extra attention? Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Tackle the one that resonates most with you and work your way through the list.
You got this!
And if you don’t feel like you do…Start here by booking your FREE consult with me.