Fat Thor
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A slow metabolism is not ideal if you want to lose some pounds. The speed of your metabolism is partly genetically determined, but we still make many mistakes in our daily lives that slow it down.
Metabolism is another word for metabolism. This takes place 24 hours a day. With exercise, the metabolism works faster, with rest more slowly. We call this the resting metabolism.
The rate of metabolism varies from person to person. In general, with a high metabolism, your metabolism works faster (and you lose weight faster). Whether you have a high or low metabolism is to a small extent genetically determined. Most of it is in your lifestyle.
Causes of a slow metabolism
What mistakes do you make that cause you to struggle with a slow metabolism?
1. You eat too little
You want to be a little less heavy, so you follow a crash diet where you only get a handful of calories. Because to lose pounds, you have to eat less than your calorie requirement, right? That’s true, but too little isn’t good either. Research shows that your metabolism adapts to the number of calories you consume. That’s because you not only lose fat with such a low calorie intake, but also muscle.
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2. You don’t sleep enough
We sometimes forget how big the impact of our night’s sleep is on our body. Are you not getting enough sleep on a daily basis? Then there is a good chance that you will see this reflected in your metabolism.
3. You drink too little water
You exercise enough, your diet is completely fine, but drink eight glasses of water a day? You’ll never get there. Drinking too little water, or even dehydration, also causes a slow metabolism. So provide your body with enough fluids, and make it a habit to drink enough water.
What is enough? Good question. Use this formula to calculate how much water you need per day. And when it’s hot and summery outside, you hold on to that much water per day.
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4. You don’t move enough
Do you have a sedentary profession, do you mainly work from home, and do you not really do sports? Then it doesn’t look good for your metabolism. Sitting still and not moving enough is a cause of a slow metabolism. The solution? Move more. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym right away, but at least try to get your NEAT up.
NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. In other words: the calories you burn when you are not exercising. Getting your NEAT up is pretty simple. Go shopping on foot, take the stairs more often, or go crazy and take a walk with your neighbor’s dog. You probably know the tricks by now. Now you have to do them.
5. A lack of strength training
Muscles need constant energy, even when they are not actively engaged. The more muscle you have, the greater your body’s demand for a faster metabolism. Getting hugely wide is not a requirement, but going to the gym once or twice a week certainly can’t hurt your metabolism.
Is the gym not your thing? You can also pick up quite a few laundry exercises at home, such as these 33 exercises to put together your own workout.
6. Your thyroid is not working properly
Do the above errors not apply to you, do you eat healthy and still gain weight? You may be dealing with a malfunctioning thyroid gland. If you suspect this, we advise you to make an appointment with your doctor immediately. Being overweight doesn’t necessarily mean a problem with your thyroid, but a connection is possible.
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6 possible causes of a slower metabolism