Losing weight is a matter of science. You can cut calories and fat and you can exercise. But if you don’t factor in your metabolism, you might find that science is working against you and you’re not losing weight despite all the efforts you’re making. So what are you doing that might be messing with your metabolism and affecting your weight loss?
Snapshot Survey
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:
1. Did You Give up Dairy?
Many people decide to give up dairy as part of a conscious effort to become healthier, but what you may not know is that dairy as a whole is really very important with regards to the speed of your metabolism. In order for it to run fast, muscle within the body is essential, and a study discovered that women who ate up to seven servings of dairy a day had more muscle mass and therefore had much faster metabolic rates.
2. Did You Cut out Carbs?
We have heard time and time again that cutting out carbs is the best way to lose weight, but some experts say that giving these up are one of the sure fire things that sabotage your metabolism. When exercising, our muscles require vital glycogen that is found in carbohydrates, and this means that if you do not give your body enough carbs to feed this need, then you will not have enough energy to exercise in the first place. Obviously, as a result of this, you will burn fewer and fewer calories.
Frequently asked questions
3. Is Your Heating up Too High?
This one is something that you might not necessarily think about, but it has been documented in a close study that people who slept in rooms cooled to around 66°F for four weeks registered twice the amount of brown adipose tissue, which is a type of fat that works to burn calories rather than store them. This tissue becomes much more active in colder temperatures and results in many more calories being burned throughout the day. Maybe try turning your thermostat down every now and then to try to build up some brown adipose tissue of your own.
4. Are You Snacking Wrong?
When on a diet most people automatically tend to go for the low-calorie snacking options such as rice cakes or cereal bars, but there is actually an even more effective option - nuts. Getting into habit of snacking on a handful of walnuts will help to encourage the activity of certain genes in the body that work to control the burning of fat, meaning that eating nuts rather than rice cakes can help you to burn way more calories. A small handful every day should be the perfect amount.
5. Are You Rushing through Strength Training?
Like I mentioned previously, having good muscle is a big part of having a fast metabolism, so in order to make it as effective as possible you should really be focusing on your dead lifts, bicep curls and bench presses as a way of building your muscle. The general rule is that the more strong muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.
6. Are You Using Sea Salt Instead of Table Salt?
It may be trendy and give a slightly better flavor, but sea salt does not contain the iodine that traditional table salt does, and this iodine is vital for giving your thyroid gland the mojo that it needs. This is so important because it is the thyroid gland that actually controls your metabolism, so it isn’t difficult to see that the happier and more functional it is, the better and faster your rate of calorie burning will be.
7. Have You Been Skipping Your Morning Workout?
It’s true, nobody really wants to work out so soon after waking up, but a morning exercise in the sunlight can really help. A dose of cardio exercise before you start the day can be so good for your body as it regulates your circadian rhythm and can set the tempo for your energy for the rest of the day, including how many calories you are going to burn.
Have you noted what you’re doing wrong? Are you ready to change a bad habit to a good habit to continue your weight loss journey?
Comments
Sapna: Great article thanks
Dianna: I have lost 30kgs this year so far without dieting or cutting back what I eat. I have gone back in time 40yrs. I am eating foods that I call 1 ingredient. So in other words foods like an Avacado, peice of steak, milk, broccoli all foods that are only the ingredient they are called.
Carmen: Cindy - vegetables do have carbohydrates, but very minimal amounts, about 5-7 grams or less. Fruits will contain a higher amount of carbohydrates. It is however very important to include whole grain products in your diet to get essential minerals your body needs, especially fiber. If you choose to continue to eliminate carbohydrates, I recommend taking a multivitamin - of course speak to your physician prior to starting a supplement. P.s. I am a registered dietitian, credible source :)
Cindy: Doesn't vegetables contain carbs? I have cut out bread , pasta, and rice, and thought vegetables has all the carbs i need ??
IAMDENISE: Great article
Cindy: Thank you Carmen, I will try your advice
:
Feedback Junction
Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge