Metabolism is a sum of all chemical activities that help your body burn calories to produce energy. A stronger metabolism can help you in your weight loss journey.
But sometimes, we tend to be careless and inculcate habits that make it difficult to lose weight or maintain it. Here are some tips to keep our metabolic rate at a good pace.
Eating Too Little
Low calorie intake is a part of the weight loss journey but you have to be careful that the calorie count doesn't fall too low. The sudden drop in calories can mess up your metabolism.
According to the US NIH, less than 1000 calories a day can be harmful for your metabolism. When the body gets into a pattern of burning the food slower than normal, it might still burn less calories when you get back on your required calorie intake which can make you obese.
That is why it is better to have a healthy balanced diet and avoid cutting down calories dramatically for too long.
Lack of Proteins in the Diet
Protein-rich foods can make your body full for longer. This might confuse you that it might be the cause of weight gain. But proteins are essential nutrients that play an important role in weight loss.
According to PubMed Central, proteins keep you full for a longer time, increases the satiety levels and this prevents you from eating extra throughout the day.
Moreover, protein has a higher thermic effect that helps burn more calories and it increases the metabolic rate by 20-30 percent as compared to carbs and fats that increase the metabolic rate by 10-15 percent.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle can be described as one in which a person is lethargic, inactive or has to spend his time working while sitting for hours. Long hours of sitting can be a cause of slow metabolism due to less number of calories being burnt.
According to the American Physiological Society, sedentary lifestyle can have a negative impact on the metabolic rate as well as the overall health of a person. Simple activities like walking, using the stairs and standing while working can help you burn calories that are enough to prevent slowing down of metabolism.
Lack of Sleep
A goodnight's sleep is essential for the overall health of a person. Lack of proper sleep can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, depression and other illnesses.
According to PubMed Central, lack of sleep slows down the metabolic rate and is a cause of weight gain. Sleep of 4-5 hours showed 2-6 percent decrease in the resting metabolic rate, which is the calories burnt while breathing, heart beat, etc. Lack of sleep and disrupted sleep patterns can ]slow down your metabolism by 8 percent.
Drinking Sweetened Drinks
Drinking beverages high in sugar can be harmful in general. They increase the risk of heart diseases, obesity and diabetes. Fructose is an important ingredient in these drinks, table sugar and corn syrup contain 50 percent and 55 percent fructose respectively.
According to the US NIH, fructose content in these drinks can slow down the metabolism and increase the amount of fat store in liver and belly.
Lack of Exercise
Medium to high-intensity workouts have proven to be beneficial for the metabolism. According to the US NIH, strength training and other high intensity exercises can help boost the metabolism of healthy people as well those who are obese or overweight.
They also help to burn fat and protect the muscle mass which helps to burn extra calories while the body is at rest. According to the PubMed Central, strength training for 33 minutes in a week reduces increases the resting metabolic rate of the body by 7.4 percent.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)