There could be a number of reasons why you’ve been gaining weight, plateauing on the scales or just feeling a little sluggish. But when you drill it down to the core, it’s because whatever you’re doing (or not doing) is slowing down your metabolism. Here are some ways you can right the wrong and get your metabolism humming efficiently again.
1. Eat breakfast everyday
Turns out waking up and not putting any fuel in your engine is one of the most damaging and common mistakes women with slow metabolism make. Starting the day right is key to revving up your metabolism and keeping you energized throughout the morning. A nutrient rich breakfast will also prevent you from reaching for unhealthier alternatives when your stomach starts to rumble.
Healthy breakfast options like omelettes, oats or wholemeal toast are best, but if you’re more of a grab-and-go type of gal, you can prep portable feasts like smoothies or granola bars in advance.
2. Stop dieting altogether
It’s not just cutting out breakfast that’s a problem. Your overall food intake has an impact too. Slashing your calories and yo-yo dieting can impact your metabolism, as well as your health in the long term. Weight loss and body maintenance is better addressed by introducing changes that focus on food choice as well as eating habits and behaviours.
3. Drink more water throughout the day
Drinking two litres of water a day will work wonders for your metabolism. If you struggle to consume enough, try marking times on your water bottle for a little extra encouragement and guidance. Drinking water will not only keep your metabolism on track but will help to clear your skin too.
If you’re already drinking a lot of water each day and you want to give your body that extra little boost, opt for ice cold water to increase your calorie burning power—research has found that drinking six cups of cold water a day (about 1.3 litres) can boost your resting metabolism by about 50 calories a day.
4. Cut down on the caffeinated drinks
Drinking too many caffeinated drinks can become unhealthy, especially if you’re opting for caramel lattes or other hot drinks high in sugar. The alternative? Green tea—aside from being filled with antioxidants it also contains an active ingredient, catechin, which has been found to speed up metabolism.
5. Get better sleep
Many experts believe that a lack of sleep leaves us prone to gaining weight, and whilst it’s not as simple as sleeping all day being a fast track to skipping a dress size, there does seem to be a correlation between a solid slumber and a healthy metabolism.
In fact, in a recent study, scientists showed that just one bad night can leave us craving unhealthy, fatty foods and leave our metabolism less equipped to cope with them, particularly if we’re opting for carbs, as tiredness can affect our glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.
6. Stop sitting the entire day
Office jobs don’t give you much of a choice, we know, but a study found that standing up at work could help boost your metabolic rate, meaning you can burn up to 50 calories an hour more than sitting.
You don’t even have to do it for the full eight hours. Spending the morning standing up can cut as many as 200 calories, which in turn give you some leeway to what you can eat for lunch without piling on the extra pounds.
7. Stop doing the same workout over and over again
It’s important to keep your fitness routine fresh. Whether you’re a cardio fanatic or a yoga queen, doing the same exercise week in week out means your body gets used to the activity and can result in fewer calories being burned. Give high intensity interval training or HIIT a try – it’s a great way to mix things up and get you burning calories at a rapid rate. Numerous studies have shown that HIIT is one of the most effective methods of improving fitness, building muscle and burning fat. And of course, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate tends to be.
One last thing… you should try this 2-minute “after-dinner ritual” that
burns up to 2 pounds of belly fat per day…
“All
this by a 2-minute “after-dinner ritual?” I asked.
I
met an old friend for lunch last month and I was super impressed with how good
she looked.
She
said, “It’s not so much about the “after-dinner ritual”, but more about how it
gives you a regenerative form of deep sleep that is responsible for everything
we need to dramatically increase our fat burning metabolism and improve our
health and appearance.”
Even
though I was skeptical, I’ve been struggling with my weight over the last few
years, so I gave it a shot and watched the same video she did.
Well,
it’s only a couple weeks later and you know what they say about how “you can’t
transform your body overnight”…
They’re
right – it actually took me 16 days to lose 22 pounds.
Now
it’s my girlfriends asking ME what I’M doing differently 💅
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