Metabolism Retraining

By TransformME Weight Loss and Wellness

How many times have we heard the internet talk about that we are not losing weight because our metabolsim is low. This could be the case but what does it mean to have a low metabolism? Let’s first discuss what metabolism is.

Metabolism is the chemical process that converts our food into energy to perform certain functions in our bodies. So this is a very important process. To simply put it, metabolism is a factor needed in order to maintain life. But how do we know if we are actually having an issue with are metabolism.

The answer is, it could depend on multiple factors. Some of these factors include weight gain, fatigue, constipation, and craving sweets just to name a few. The most accurate and encouraged way to know for sure is to receive a blood test from your primary care physician.

There are so many questions surrounding what to do when you are experiencing a low metabolism. We see different answers to this question on social media and the internet, but which answers are correct? Here are some tips to help retrain your metabolism.

As far as what you should eat that will benefit your metabolism, will be foods that contain a high amount of protein. This includes lean meats such as chicken and lean beef, eggs, and dairy such as Greek yogurt. This helps to build and retain muscle.

For exercise, people who have extra weight to lose and who have been sedentary, any amount of physical activity is beneficial, including walking, swimming, and water aerobics. Start out slowly and gradually increase the pace and duration of such activities. Low-intensity activities such as taking a short walk or raking leaves will raise your resting energy expenditure as much as high-intensity activities will, but they have other advantages. For one thing, they help reduce body fat and build muscles. Muscle burns more calories than fat does.

Regular weightlifting also builds muscle and has a similar effect. Another benefit of regular physical activity of any sort is that it temporarily curbs your appetite. Of course, many people joke that after a workout they feel extremely hungry and promptly indulge in a snack*. But because exercise raises resting energy expenditure, people continue to burn calories at a relatively high rate. Therefore, a moderate post-exercise snack does not erase the benefits of exercise in helping people control their weight.