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Mistakes That Slows Down Your Metabolism (Part 2 of 4)

Body By Donnar
Feb 17, 20223 min read

Updated: Jul 12, 2022

Donnar's Two Cents:

As we've learned that they are quite a number of factors that affect our metabolism, we now look into some of the mistakes which we make in our day-to-day lives. Some to which we might be aware of, and some of which we are not.


Eating too few calories:

When you cut your calories so low that it slows your metabolism due to muscle loss that you stop losing weight. This loss of muscle mass is especially likely to occur if the calorie-restricted diet is low in protein and not combined with exercise.



Skimping on protein:

A lack of protein can make you lose muscle mass, which in turn cuts your strength, makes it harder to keep your balance, and slows your metabolism. Protein increases metabolic rate more than carbs or fat. Increased protein intake helps preserve metabolic rate during weight loss and maintenance.



Leading a sedentary lifestyle:

Being inactive reduces the number of calories you burn during the day. The more time you spend sitting, the fewer calories you burn, and thus, the higher your chances are of gaining weight. You’d be surprised at how many calories you burn doing even the simplest of things such as standing and walking.



Not getting enough high-quality sleep:

Not getting enough sleep or having inconsistent sleeping patterns is associated with a higher (BMI). Too little sleep triggers a cortisol spike. This stress hormone signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours aka You’re more apt to hang on to fat and/ or eat more.



Drinking sugary beverages:

A new study published in BMC Nutrition found that a combination of sugar sweetened drinks and a protein rich meal decreases metabolic efficiency, which can lead to more fat being stored. Sugary beverages have NO nutritional value but are high in calories which can lead to weight gain. These beverages contain fructose that can slow down metabolism and cause increase in belly fat and fatty liver.



A lack of strength training:

Having a higher metabolism is critically important to maintaining your overall weight loss goals. Building muscle expends a considerable amount of energy. When you lift heavy, or even light weights, it puts a strain on every muscle in the body, which leads to elevated metabolism for the next 24 to 48 hours. You will continue to lose weight and burn fat long after your workout is over.


Lifting weights not only helps to increase your metabolism during and post-workout, it affects your resting metabolism, giving it a continual boost as well. So, even when you're doing everyday things or resting, the muscle mass you've built will still continue to burn energy.



Skipping Meals:

Eating irregularly can also cause your metabolism to slow down, which can cause weight gain or make it harder to lose weight. When you skip a meal or go a long time without eating, your body goes into survival mode pushing our body to conserve food and store it as fat.




Stress:

When you're under stress, whether physical or emotional, your body reacts by releasing the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is also considered a catabolic hormone, which means it breaks down muscle for energy. The loss of muscle -- which is one way your body burns calories -- may ultimately cause an overall decrease in your metabolism.


I'm sure for most of us, what we have read above is complete common sense and we think to ourselves, "I already know these stuff!" Which I'm totally inclined to agree. We do know these facts as common knowledge. However, as our lives are filled with a variety of commitment, being busy with work, family, our social lives, we don't always remember to put these habits into practice.


But there's no need to overthink it either. When you're stressed out, healthy behaviors likely eating properly and exercising regularly can easily fall by the wayside. Maintaining a schedule and/or routine can help make these healthy behaviors a habit and combat stress-related weight changes.



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