Tag: Metabolism

Slow Metabolism?

If You Have a Slow Metabolism, Here Are 5 Doctor-Approved Ways to Burn Belly Fat

If you have a slow metabolism, trying to lose belly fat can be disheartening to say the least. Good news: it’s still achievable. But there’s also a reason why losing weight is challenging when you have a slow metabolism.

To explain that, let’s first define what your metabolism actually is. When we say “metabolism,” we’re actually referring to metabolic rate, which is the way your body turns what you eat and drink into usable energy, and how it stores that energy so you can use it later on. Your metabolic rate is tied to your body composition and muscle mass, said Elizabeth Lowden, MD, bariatric endocrinologist at the Northwestern Medicine Metabolic Health and Surgical Weight Loss Center at Delnor Hospital. Specifically, you can boost your metabolism by increasing your muscle mass and lowering your body fat. 

But, your slow metabolism makes it difficult to lose the fat, but the fat makes it difficult to speed up your metabolism. It’s a frustrating conundrum, said Holly Lofton, MD, director of the Medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone Health. “We have to break that cycle somewhere,” she told POPSUGAR.

Do I Have a Slow Metabolism?

“Those with smaller body frames, who are shorter and may have difficulty holding on to muscle mass, tend to have lower metabolisms,” Dr. Lowden told POPSUGAR. How can you tell if that’s you? Get your metabolism tested, Dr. Lofton said. You can do this at weight management centers as well as some gyms and dietitians’ offices, and you have a few different options to choose from.

The first is called indirect calorimetry, which determines your metabolic rate by measuring your oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. The second option is bioelectric impedance, which measures your fat mass, muscle mass, and water percentage – and from those, your metabolism – by way of a painless electrical impulse that passes through your body.

If neither testing option is available to you, Dr. Lofton said, you can also get a rough estimate of your metabolic rate from an online calculator. “Keep in mind that these only base off height and weight, and will have some error depending on one’s fat mass,” Dr. Lofton cautioned. Here are a few other ways to determine if you have a slow metabolism.

Be in a Caloric Deficit

If you have a slow metabolism and want to lose belly fat, the first priority is to eat fewer calories, Dr. Lofton told POPSUGAR. You want to be in a slight caloric deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than you burn. “Weight loss always comes down to energy balance,” Dr. Lowden explained. Dr. Lofton recommended cutting about 250 calories a day to start. Here’s exactly how to get into a caloric deficit, if you’ve never done it before.

Decreasing your food intake slightly has two positive effects. For one thing, you’ll start to lose fat. Maybe not necessarily from your belly; now is a good time to remember that you can’t spot-reduce fat, but by reducing your body fat as a whole, you’ll start seeing results around your belly. And when you lower your body fat percentage, you’ll also start to boost your metabolism, Dr. Lofton said.

Increase Physical Activity, Especially Intense Cardio Exercise

While you’re lowering your caloric intake, Dr. Lofton also recommended getting more exercise. Building muscle through strength training is actually the best way to boost your metabolism, but when your overall goal is to lose belly fat, Dr. Lofton actually recommended starting with cardio. “The body loses fat efficiently by doing intense physical activity,” Dr. Lofton explained. Both cardio and strength training are important for your overall health and weight loss, but initially upping your cardio while reducing your caloric intake will lead to faster results.

Any kind of exercise will be helpful to start: walking more, taking the stairs, getting up and moving throughout the day. But the best weight loss results will come when you’re really upping your heart rate, “huffing and puffing, exerting yourself to the point where it’s difficult to hold a conversation, but still possible,” Dr. Lofton said. “That’s the level of intensity you want to get to.”

High-intensity interval training is one option to try that’s been proven to help with fat loss, especially when it comes to visceral fat, Dr. Lowden told POPSUGAR. Visceral fat is the fat around your organs, as opposed to the subcutaneous fat under your skin, which is the kind you can see. (Here’s more on the difference between the two.) Visceral fat is actually the more dangerous kind, Dr. Lowden said, leading to metabolic health issues like abnormal blood sugar, heart disease, high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease. So doing HIIT actually benefits you in multiple ways: it’ll help you lose fat overall and dangerous visceral fat in particular. We recommend this 45-minute bodyweight HIIT workout for weight loss as a good place to start.5/7 SLIDES© Getty / mihailomilovanovic

Build Muscle

When you’re about halfway to your goal weight, Dr. Lofton recommended starting strength training to increase your metabolism further. A caloric deficit and cardio workouts should help you lose fat, which improves your metabolism; now, putting on lean muscle mass will rev it up even more. Muscle increases your basal metabolic rate, explained Dr. Lowden, which means that your body burns more calories at rest. “Higher levels of muscle mass can also increase the number of calories you burn during activities and exercise,” she added. Basically, muscle equals a higher metabolism all-around. Get started with this four-week weightlifting workout plan that’s tailored for beginners.

Boost Your Metabolism With Healthy Fats and Protein

Healthy fats and protein take longer for your body to digest, and you actually expend more energy digesting them than you do other foods, said Dori Arad, PhD, director of the Mount Sinai PhysioLab, in a previous interview. Though building muscle is the best way to increase your metabolism, eating more of these foods can give you a small boost. Protein has the added bonus of helping you build muscle, too. And when it comes to losing weight and working on your metabolic rate, every little bit counts!

Go for healthy fats like:

  • Nuts, including almonds and walnuts
  • Fatty fish, such as salmon and trout
  • Avocados
  • Olive oil

And choose lean sources of protein, such as:

  • Skinless chicken and turkey
  • Beans and lentils
  • Fish
  • Tofu
  • Ground beef that’s 90 percent lean or leaner

Make Long-Term Changes and Stay Consistent

Having a slow metabolism and trying to lose weight can be incredibly frustrating, for all the reasons we’ve discussed, but it’s not an impossible task. The difference between a “fast” and “slow” metabolism is less than you might think, Dr. Lowden told POPSUGAR, and it can be overcome with consistent lifestyle changes. “Lower basal metabolic rates mean that patience and consistency are important,” she said. “It may take longer to make the right changes and see the results you are looking for, but it does not mean you will fail.”Increase Physical Activity, Especially Intense Cardio Exercise While you’re lowering your caloric intake, Dr. Lofton also recommended getting more exercise. Building muscle through strength training is actually the best way to boost your metabolism, but when your overall goal is to lose belly fat, Dr. Lofton actually recommended starting with cardio. “The body loses fat efficiently by doing intense physical activity,” Dr. Lofton explained. Both cardio and strength training are important for your overall health and weight loss, but initially upping your cardio while reducing your caloric intake will lead to faster results.
Any kind of exercise will be helpful to start: walking more, taking the stairs, getting up and moving throughout the day. But the best weight loss results will come when you’re really upping your heart rate, “huffing and puffing, exerting yourself to the point where it’s difficult to hold a conversation, but still possible,” Dr. Lofton said. “That’s the level of intensity you want to get to.”
High-intensity interval training is one option to try that’s been proven to help with fat loss, especially when it comes to visceral fat, Dr. Lowden told POPSUGAR. Visceral fat is the fat around your organs, as opposed to the subcutaneous fat under your skin, which is the kind you can see. (Here’s more on the difference between the two.) Visceral fat is actually the more dangerous kind, Dr. Lowden said, leading to metabolic health issues like abnormal blood sugar, heart disease, high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease. So doing HIIT actually benefits you in multiple ways: it’ll help you lose fat overall and dangerous visceral fat in particular. We recommend this 45-minute bodyweight HIIT workout for weight loss as a good place to start.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/weightloss/if-you-have-a-slow-metabolism-here-are-5-doctor-approved-ways-to-burn-belly-fat/ss-AAGiUfU?ocid=spartandhp&fullscreen=true#image=4

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Jillian Michaels~Three Worst Foods

1. Sugar

Not-so-shockingly, Michaels names sugar as one of the greatest culprits of a sluggish metabolism. Why? After savoring a dessert, she explains, your blood sugar spikes. This causes your cortisol and insulin hormone levels to increase, in an effort to level things out—and it can eventually lead to metabolic disruption if left unchecked long-term. “Hormones work in a symphony, and there are tons of them,” explains Michaels. “So ultimately, when we’re looking at metabolism, we want to make sure that we have the right hormones working for us, instead of against us.” 

According to Chicago-based dietician Amanda Lemein, MS, RD, LDN, the lack of fiber in sugary snacks is yet another factor that makes them a total no-go for a solid metabolism. “Things that we think of as sugar—like cookies, cake, pancakes, whatever—are broken down by our our bodies really, really quickly,” she says. Fiber-rich foods, however, are digested slowly—your body fights hard to break them down, kickstarting your metabolism in the process. 

2. Processed grains

Next on Michaels’ hit list: refined grains like white rice, highly processed breads, and white pasta. These have a similar affect on your body as sugar, breaking down quickly and causing insulin to skyrocket. And that’s not all, says Josh Axe, DNM, CNS, DC. “When consumed in excess, refined grains can provide you with high levels of certain compounds that may hurt your metabolism, including gluten, lots of starch, and phytic acid,” explains Axe, founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com. “Many packaged grain products also contain lots of added sugar, salt, synthetic preservatives, and are ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins and minerals that can be hard to metabolize properly.” Moral of the story: Stick with whole, unprocessed grains when you get a carb craving. 

a piece of cake on a plate: foods slow metabolism

© Photo: Unsplash/Jakub Kapusnak foods slow metabolism

3. Processed Soy

Hold the vegan chicken tenders? “Soy is very toxic [to your thyroid],” Michaels claims. To be clear, scientists haven’t come to a consensus on this, but some studies do indicate that excessive soy consumption may negatively impact your thyroid—the gland in your neck responsible for regulating your body’s metabolic operations. (Especially if your iodine levels are low or you’ve already got some form of thyroid disfunction.) And to make matters worse, conventionally grown soy is also often treated with pesticides, which are also linked to thyroid issues. “The only time you should do soy is if it’s organic and fermented,” says Michaels. (Or you could always just turn to a soy-free Beyond Burger for your plant-based protein fix…)

Originally published on August 10, 2018; updated on January 24, 2019.

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Speeding Metabolism Up

Try These 5 Tricks To Speed Up Your Metabolism Naturally

As obesity rates continue to rise, so do trendy diets. Often targeting your metabolism, these diets can be anything but beneficial. More often than not, they’re actually a waste of money and if anything, frustrate people to the point that they give up.

As you alter your lifestyle, learn to work with your metabolism. Trust me, it will be your biggest supporter — and even act as your own personal trainer.

What’s up with my metabolism?

You likely know at least one person who can literally eat whatever they want and never gain a pound. What’s that all about? Why is that some people struggle with their weight for decades, while others never have to worry about their waistline?

Although there are a number of environmental and genetic variables involved, a core contributing factor is one’s metabolism. More specifically, your metabolic rate. It is not fully understood why metabolism varies between people, but some potential explanations include a person’s gender, age and genetics. The amount of lean muscle mass you have on your body is also believed to play a key role.

Involving many chemical processes, your metabolism is much more than a mechanism you can tweak. It is required to sustain life, as these processes occur in each and every call. Helping you turn the food you eat into usable fuel, your resting metabolism is what accounts for most of the energy you burn.

In terms of your weight, the faster your resting metabolism, the more calories you’ll burn. Although your resting metabolic rate will vary in comparison to others, for most people, their resting or “basal” metabolic rate accounts for around 60 to 80 percent of total energy expenditure.

How to optimize your metabolism to maintain a healthy weight

Many experts agree that it’s challenging to “boost” your metabolism. However, it’s certainly not impossible. Before we get into what you should do, let’s touch on something you should definitely, 100 percent not do: crash diet. When you begin a drastic diet plan, specifically a crash diet, you significantly impact your resting metabolism.

As stated in a recent study, published in Eating Behaviors, after studying 4,900 participants (between the ages of 24 and 34), regular eating and a history of no dieting was associated with successful weight management. It was concluded that dieting can actually lead to more weight gain as you get older.

So, starving your body of food is out. Instead, here’s what you should do.

1. Build more lean muscle mass and switch things up

Those who incorporate bursts of speed may lose three times as much weight.

It’s well understood that muscle cells require more energy than fat cells. That is why people who have more muscle tend to have a faster working metabolism. Although you should focus on resistance training, experts agree that the most beneficial workouts are those that mix things up with intervals.

If you are aiming to lose weight, start to incorporate sprints into your routine. One study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, found that women who incorporated sprints into their cardio workout lost three times as much body fat compared to those who kept a steady pace. This included core and thigh fat. It is believed that bursts of speed (which is easy to accomplish on a stationary bike) can stimulate a greater fat-burning response.

To help maintain lean muscle mass, you should also consume more nutrient-dense protein sources.

2. Drink more water

Well-hydrated people have higher metabolic rates than those who don’t drink enough water.

Some studies suggest that as many as 75 percent of Americans do not drink enough water — yikes!

Researchers from the University of Utah found that when people drank eight to 12 eight-ounce glasses of water daily, they showcased higher metabolic rates than those who drank four. They reported that “When you dehydrate three percent of your body weight, this results in a two-percent decline in your ability to burn calories.

Once you feel thirsty, your body has already lost two to three percent of your weight due to a lack of hydration. It is also important to note that those who drank more water also experienced more energy and higher levels of concentration.

3. Drink green tea

Researchers have found that drinking green tea every day can lead to weight loss.

Green tea can help you meet your hydration needs while boosting your metabolism. It is ECGC, an active plant compound that promotes the burning of fat. Not only can this tasty drink boost your metabolism, but researchers found that drinking four cups of green tea daily led to a significant reduction in weight and systolic blood pressure.

4. Don’t skimp on sleep

Studies have shown that people who sleep less have a higher body mass index.

A lack of sleep will not only affect your mood and ability to focus but will also negatively impact your metabolism. Poor sleep patterns can result in an imbalance of key hormones, including ghrelin and leptin. Since these hormones regulate your appetite and energy use, be sure to get a minimum of 7.5 hours of rest each night. Those who sleep less have also been shown to have a higher body mass index.

5. Choose organic

Researchers have found that pesticides can negatively impact thyroid function.

Giving you another reason to ditch pesticides, researchers found that dieters who showcased the highest levels of organochloride pesticides experienced impaired mitochondrial and thyroid function. This would directly impact your metabolism. If you want to take your metabolism-boosting diet even further, consume more chili peppers, lentils, dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds and cinnamon.

When it comes to your metabolism, there is no overnight solution. If you are aiming to achieve a healthier weight, there’s no substitute for a balanced, active lifestyle. To guide you along your journey, please feel to read: Proven Lifestyle Changes To Effectively Lose Weight And Keep It Off.

https://www.thealternativedaily.com/how-to-speed-up-your-metabolism-naturally/— Krista Hillis

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3 Foods to Avoid,your metabolism/Information share

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/these-3-foods-are-the-worst-for-your-metabolism-according-to-jillian-michaels/ar-BBLKYrO?ocid=spartandhp

When you take a look the ingredients that rev up your metabolism, a few stand out. Namely, fiber (particularly from “real” foods like fruits and veggies) and iodine-rich options like seaweed. For every metabolic superhero, though, there’s an alternative eat out there that works the opposite way, sabotaging your body’s calorie-burning prowess.

“The two things that are predominantly in control of your metabolism are your endocrine system and your hormone balance,” says Jillian Michaels, creator of the My Fitness app and former trainer on The Biggest Loser. Thus, when you chow down on something that disturbs these things, your metabolism gets thrown for a loop, too.

You may have already guessed some of the nutritional villains that Michaels names as the worst for your metabolism—cough, sugar, cough—but below you’ll get the full scoop from the celeb coach herself, with a bit of added insight from nutrition experts.

Keep reading to find out which foods you should avoid for a healthy metabolism.

foods slow down metabolism © Photo: Unsplash/Joanna Kosinska foods slow down metabolism

1. Sugar

Not-so-shockingly, Michaels names sugar as one of the greatest culprits of a sluggish metabolism. Why? After savoring a dessert, she explains, your blood sugar spikes. This causes your cortisol and insulin hormone levels to increase, in an effort to level things out—and it can eventually lead to metabolic disruption if left unchecked long-term. “Hormones work in a symphony, and there are tons of them,” explains Michaels. “So ultimately, when we’re looking at metabolism, we want to make sure that we have the right hormones working for us, instead of against us.”

According to Chicago-based dietician Amanda Lemein, MS, RD, LDN, the lack of fiber in sugary snacks is yet another factor that makes them a total no-go for a solid metabolism. “Things that we think of as sugar—like cookies, cake, pancakes, whatever—are broken down by our our bodies really, really quickly,” she says. Fiber-rich foods, however, are digested slowly—your body fights hard to break them down, kickstarting your metabolism in the process.

2. Processed grains

Next on Michaels’ hit list: refined grains like white rice, highly processed breads, and white pasta. These have a similar affect on your body as sugar, breaking down quickly and causing insulin to skyrocket. And that’s not all, says Josh Axe, DNM, CNS, DC. “When consumed in excess, refined grains can provide you with high levels of certain compounds that may hurt your metabolism, including gluten, lots of starch, and phytic acid,” explains Axe, founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com. “Many packaged grain products also contain lots of added sugar, salt, synthetic preservatives, and are ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins and minerals that can be hard to metabolize properly.” Moral of the story: Stick with whole, unprocessed grains when you get a carb craving.

a piece of cake on a plate: foods slow metabolism © Photo: Unsplash/Jakub Kapusnak foods slow metabolism

3. Processed Soy

Hold the vegan chicken tenders? “Soy is very toxic [to your thyroid],” Michaels claims. To be clear, scientists haven’t come to a consensus on this, but some studies do indicate that excessive soy consumption may negatively impact your thyroid—the gland in your neck responsible for regulating your body’s metabolic operations. (Especially if your iodine levels are low or you’ve already got some form of thyroid disfunction.) And to make matters worse, conventionally grown soy is also often treated with pesticides, which are also linked to thyroid issues. “The only time you should do soy is if it’s organic and fermented,” says Michaels. (Or you could always just turn to a soy-free Beyond Burger for your plant-based protein fix…)

Thank you for reading 🙂

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Email Share… 5 ways to speed metabolism up

man holding kettlebell on road
Photo by antas singh on Pexels.com

 

Hello, I know that some of us have trouble trying to lose weight or perhaps to speed our metabolism up. Well, I opened my emails this morning and this is what I found. I hope it will provide useful to you. So, I am sharing those with you.

I am not claiming to be a physician, doctor, nurse, or otherwise. These examples come from a website ,https://www.healthyfollow.com/

As always, I feel it is important enough to say,

Check with your doctor before trying these and make sure it is okay.

 

 

 

5 ways to speed up metabolism 



Metabolism is a term that describes all the chemical reactions in your body. These chemical reactions keep your body alive and functioning. However, the word metabolism is often used interchangeably with metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn.

The higher it is, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to shed weight and keep it off.

Having a high metabolism can also give you energy and make you feel better.

Here are 5 easy ways to increase your metabolism.

1. Eating more protein can boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories. It can also help you eat less.

2. Drinking green tea or oolong tea may increase your metabolism. These teas may also help you shed weight and keep it off.

3. Eating spicy food could be beneficial for boosting your metabolism and help you maintain a healthy weight.

4. Lack of sleep can decrease the number of calories you burn, change the way you process sugar and disrupt your appetite-regulating hormones.

5. Lifting weights is important for building and retaining muscle. Higher amounts of muscle will result in a higher metabolism.

Making small lifestyle changes and incorporating these tips into your routine can increase your metabolism.

Thank you for reading 🙂

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