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Most people assume that if you want to lose weight, you have to eat less, exercise more, and everything will fall into place. And, for most people, that is the whole story. Others, however, face... |
Most people assume that if you want to lose weight, you have to eat less, exercise more, and everything will fall into place. And, for most people, that is the whole story. Others, however, face a far more difficult struggle. For people whose metabolisms are compromised, weight loss is an uphill battle to the say least – and in some cases, it can seem downright impossible. If you have a slow metabolism, following the same diet plans that other people simply will not be enough to help you drop those pounds. There are things you can do, however, to overcome your metabolic problems and achieve your weight loss goals. Learning to override your slow metabolism is the trick to seeing those numbers come down on the scale.
First, consider all of the different reasons people may experience a slow metabolism. For some people, a compromised metabolic process is a short term condition and completely reversible. These short term reductions in metabolic functioning can be caused by anything from too much stress, not getting enough sleep, taking certain medications or even catching a virus. In these instances, metabolism will usually restore itself to its fully functioning capacity eventually, though interventions can help speed that process up.
For other people, a slow metabolism is a lifelong problem. Although some people just naturally have slower metabolisms than others, many people have a real medical condition that takes power away from their metabolism. One of the most common conditions is hypothyroidism, also known in layman’s terms as an underactive thyroid. When people suffer from hypothyroidism, their thyroid does not secrete enough thyroid hormone to make their body run properly. Since thyroid hormone is one of the main hormones responsible for the metabolism, a low level of thyroid hormone means a low level of metabolism. Patients are treated with hormone replacement therapy, but enough when blood tests indicate the hormone level in the blood is normal, they often find their metabolism never truly recovers.
So, what do you do if you are faced with these kinds of circumstances? The first thing you have to do is see your doctor to rule out any underlying health issues or to figure out if there is a medication you should be on that might help your problem along. Then, you have to start eating! Often, people with slow metabolisms actually have a reduced appetite, and so they eat less, even if they weigh more. This reduced caloric intake only serves to slow the metabolism down even more. It might be hard, but try to add more, healthy calories to your day to give your metabolism fuel to burn.
Lastly, get moving. Again, with a slow metabolism, you may feel tired and fatigued, but adding a little exercise to your day can give you a real burst of energy. Plus, of course, it will help your metabolism kick into gear. A bonus is that as you move a little more and a little more, the increased metabolism will not only burn fat but it will fight your fatigue. Managing a slow metabolism isn’t easy, but with some determination, it can be done.
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