A personal trainer shared the 13 signs your metabolism is sluggish, and how you can boost it to achieve your goal weight quickly.
Rachel Attard, from Sydney, said that while you might not think about it, metabolism has a “huge impact on our health”, particularly when it comes to losing and gaining weight.
Simply put, metabolism is the internal process by which your body expends energy and burns calories, Rachel writes. Instagram.
It works 24/7 by converting the food and nutrients you consume into energy.
Rachel said some of the factors that can affect your metabolism include genes, hormones, lack of sleep, diet, dehydration, age, stress, and the medications you take.
A personal trainer shared the 13 signs your metabolism is sluggish, and how you can boost it to achieve your goal weight fast (Photo by Rachel Attard)
Rachel (pictured) said some of the factors that can affect your metabolism include genes, hormones, lack of sleep, diet, dehydration, age, stress and the medications you take
Some of the most common signs that you have a low metabolism include chronic fatigue and low energy, not feeling hungry in the morning and weight gain for no apparent reason.
Those with a slow metabolism may also experience constipation, depression, hair thinning, dry skin, and brittle nails, as well as brain fog, hair loss, and feeling cold all the time.
“Other common signs are headaches, a decreased pulse rate, and cravings for sugar and carbohydrates,” said Rachel.
But you can manipulate your metabolism—and the PT uses some simple tried-and-tested tricks to give it a boost, like eating a high-protein breakfast (pictured)
But you can manipulate your metabolism—and your PT uses some simple tried-and-tested tricks to give it a boost, especially after the holiday season, when you’re feeling sluggish from overeating and drinking.
The first thing Rachel said she was going to do was get a hot cup of lemon water.
“Lemons are a great way to boost your metabolism, as they are high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help your immune system,” Rachel writes. website.
And she said if you want to increase the metabolism rate more, you can add some chili pepper and ginger, which helps to promote the health of the digestive system, which facilitates your metabolism through calories.
Rachel (pictured) also recommends drinking a glass of warm water with lemon and making the plain water ice cold
Next, a fitness professional always recommends drinking ice cold water, as studies have shown that this can help your metabolism.
By drinking cold water, your body has to work harder and burn more calories to process it. The aforementioned study found that you can burn 25 percent more calories just by drinking cold water.
You can still enjoy a cup of coffee, as studies have also shown that coffee and green tea also help your metabolism – burning more calories during the day.
Finally, Rachel (pictured) said that increasing your muscle mass will work wonders in boosting your metabolism, and that comes from lifting weights
“There are some foods that naturally increase metabolism and protein is one of those foods,” said Rachel.
“Your body burns more calories digesting protein than it does when compared to fat and protein.”
For this reason, she recommends a high-protein breakfast such as healthy protein smoothies, yogurt or eggs, while being careful to limit sweeteners.
Finally, Rachel said that increasing your muscle mass will work wonders in boosting your metabolism.
She said the amount of calories she burns daily is made up of three things:
“First, it’s your resting (or basal) metabolic rate—how many calories you burn at rest,” she said.
Then, is thermogenesis – how many calories you burn through digestion (this type falls under the resting metabolic rate category).
“Finally, it’s your physical activity — how many calories you burn during exercise.”
But it’s your basal metabolic rate (RMR or BMR) that makes up 60 to 85 percent of your calories burned each day, and the only way to increase that is by boosting muscle mass.
PT recommends that you do this by lifting some weights at the gym or adding some resistance training to your workouts.
For more information about Rachael Attard, you can visit her website here.