So many times you hear people blame their weight on a slow metabolism. While it’s true that metabolism is linked to weight, it’s more about your food and calorie intake, as well as your physical activity that determines how much you weigh. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain life.
What is a RMR?
Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the rate at which you burn energy or calories when resting. Calories are constantly required to perform essential body functions such as heartbeat, respiration, elimination of wastes, etc. On average around 50-75% of one’s daily energy expenditure is attributed towards this resting metabolic rate. Simply put, it converts the food we eat into energy.
What Makes Metabolism Slow Down?
Like so many think, it’s actually due to lack of muscle. You lose muscle due to the lack of physical activity. One common mistake of many is that they starve themselves instead of eating sensibly. Most people think that eating less often or skipping meals will do the trick when dieting. This actually is the worst thing you can do.
Going long periods of time without eating stimulates fat storage and can make fat cells even larger. By not eating frequently, three sensible meals and two snacks a day, you’re actually slowing down your metabolism. The longer you go between meals the more your metabolism slows down again to conserve energy.
People with a low or slow metabolism do not convert their food calories into energy efficiently, therefore making them gain weight due to lack of energy. A person with high or fast metabolism can burn the food calories before they are stored in your fat cells, helping them to
maintain a healthy weight.
What’s the Solution?
It’s actually quite simple. Invest in yourself and have a willingness to make some changes.
Below is a list of 10 easy and effective ways to boost your metabolism:
1. Don’t starve yourself.
It actually causes you to lose much more water weight and muscle than fat. Dropping below 1,000 calories a day can cause your body to go into starvation mode.
2. Eat smaller meals more frequently.
Depending on
your brain type– eat a balanced meal with enough calories to sustain energy to fuel metabolism.
3. Eat breakfast.
If you don’t eat breakfast, you slow your metabolism and send the body into “hoard mode”, thinking it’s starving because you’re going too long in between meals without food.
4. Drink water!
Drink a minimum of ½ your body weight in ounces. The energy burning process of metabolism needs water to work effectively.
5. Schedule sleep.
Try to get in at least 7 hours of sleep a night and stick to a consistent sleep schedule.
6. Eat wholesome organic foods.
Eat foods that will stabilize blood sugar levels and assist in fat loss.
7. Incorporate strength training.
Two to three times a week incorporate some form of resistance training into your schedule. Muscle burns more calories than fat. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn.
8. Avoid alcohol.
It prevents fat burning and can add hundreds of calories. Can also reduce testosterone levels, which is a not good for men who want to lose fat and get lean.
9. Take your B vitamins.
If you’re feeling fatigued and lack energy, be sure to take a B complex.
10. Healthy fats.
Sources include nuts, extra virgin olive oil and Omega 3’s. Omega 3 supplements reduce your insulin levels throughout the day. When insulin levels are high you can’t burn fat. Fish oil directly increases the oxidation of fat within fat cells.
We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we understand the pain and frustration trying to lose weight can cause. We approach each individual with a sense of compassion and respect. Our experienced clinical staff will take a full history of each patient using The Amen Clinics Method before beginning treatment with SPECT imaging or making other recommendations. Connect with us today by calling 888-288-9834 to learn more – we are waiting to help you, or
schedule a visit today.
