Common Mistakes that Slow Down Your Metabolism!

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Dr. Himika Chawla Endocrinology

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 Common Mistakes that Slow Down Your Metabolism!

Metabolism refers to the biochemical processes in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. Metabolic processes drive development and reproduction, allowing living creatures to maintain their structures and adapt to their surroundings.

Our metabolism is as unique as our thumbprint and is influenced by age, body composition, hormone function, degree of physical activity, and food.

Here are some common lifestyle mistakes that slow down metabolism:

Lack of Exercise

A sedentary lifestyle might be a key cause of your metabolism slowing down. This should come as no surprise, given that the less activity you do, the fewer calories your body must expend. Regular exercise or participation in a sport boosts the number of calories burned dramatically. Still, even simple tasks such as standing more, climbing stairs, and cleaning might help you burn more calories

Common everyday actions like walking, standing, and fidgeting are vital for getting adequate activity and burning enough calories throughout the day.

Poor Sleep Quality

High-quality sleep is critical for optimal health, yet it is frequently one of the most overlooked components of our health. New studies have connected a lack of sleep to a variety of ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression. When you don’t get enough sleep, your quality of life suffers. When you don’t get enough sleep for a few nights in a row, you may notice a lack of energy and overall tiredness. Even a single night of disrupted sleep might cause us to exercise less the next day, resulting in fewer calories burned. 

One method to guarantee we don’t sacrifice great sleep is to regularly monitor our food consumption before going to bed. It is best to avoid alcohol, fatty meals, coffee, and chocolate at least 2 hours before night.

Stress

Our bodies might suffer as a result of stress. For starters, stress causes the production of chemicals that might contribute to disordered eating. This might involve eating excessively, eating at inconvenient times, or eating insufficiently. All of these are known to induce metabolic slowdown. Second, persistent stress can lead to disrupted sleeping patterns associated with metabolic diseases.

To avoid a drop in our metabolism, it is advised that we find strategies to release the stress that does not include eating or drinking. Choosing a hobby is another common approach to dealing with stress that many people resort to.

Sitting for too long

People who work at a desk are more likely to burn fewer calories during the day, which can lead to weight gain when combined with a sedentary lifestyle. To avoid the negative consequences of sitting for too long, take several brief activity breaks during your workday that require you to get up and move.

According to research, rotating between sitting and standing at work is especially useful for overweight persons to burn more calories. Another alternative is to invest in a standing desk to increase your daily movement. This is one of the major metabolism mistakes you should avoid.

Very Low-Calorie Diets

When the body detects a significant decrease in food consumption, it begins to burn fewer calories to conserve up in case of hunger. So, while you may lose a substantial amount of weight at first, you will gradually regain it, rendering your efforts ineffective. Long-term calorie restriction can hurt our health and weight loss attempts. To avoid a drop in your body’s metabolism, you can choose for a little calorie decrease in addition to regular exercise.

Skipping Breakfast

Because everyone seems to be in a hurry or too busy these days, it has become fashionable to skip breakfast. Regrettably, this may be the behavior that is slowing down your metabolism. Breakfast is a vital meal for resetting your metabolism and should not be overlooked.

A nutritious breakfast, according to research, can assist increase your metabolism. The major objective should be to concentrate on the nutritious value of your meal rather than simply ingesting empty calories disguised as breakfast.

Eating Irregularly at Unusual Times

The disadvantage of leading a hectic lifestyle is the absence of patterns and structure in our eating habits. Eating regular, similar-sized meals is the greatest approach to avoid binges and stay pleased throughout the day. Fluctuating between low and high-calorie meals may make you feel less satisfied with your body than eating meals with a consistent quantity of calories from meal to meal. Even when conducting intermittent fasting, limiting your food intake to a certain time window and fasting the rest of the day, it is recommended to maintain the eating window towards the first part of the day and avoid nocturnal eating to protect our bodies’ metabolism from slowing down.

Not consuming enough protein

Eating enough protein is incredibly beneficial in keeping you full, and it may also greatly boost the pace at which you burn calories. The energy required to digest, absorb, and dispose of ingested food varies according to its content and is called the thermic impact of food.

Our metabolic rate slows down when we go from weight reduction to weight maintenance. However, increasing protein consumption considerably lessens this. Inadequate protein consumption might decrease metabolic rate, particularly during the maintenance phase of weight reduction. Because protein has a significant thermic impact, eating a high-protein diet can keep you feeling full while increasing your metabolic rate.

Conclusion

Small but avoidable errors might decrease your metabolism and lead to weight gain over time. High metabolism is essential for keeping up with our energy demands to complete our daily tasks and feel well.

Most of these errors involve little lifestyle and behavioral changes that may significantly impact our energy levels and general health.

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