10 Surprising Mistakes That Worsen Your Metabolism

 It is impossible to lose weight successfully if you have a slow metabolism. Exercise and a healthy diet aren't the only two things that will help you get rid of excess fat. Metabolism plays a major role in weight loss. The more efficient your metabolism is, the easier it becomes to lose weight. Fortunately, by adjusting certain habits you can increase your metabolic rate and promote weight loss.

Keep reading to discover which habits can impair your metabolism.

Muscles are more metabolically active than fat. By having a bigger muscle mass, you will be able to burn more calories at rest. Protein is the main building material of your muscles. If you don't consume enough protein, your body will not be able to build muscle mass. You need to consume 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. This is typically enough to increase your muscle mass and improve metabolism.

Trying to lose weight faster many people wrongfully eat as few calories as possible. But this isn't the best solution when it comes to metabolism-boosting. This can lead to a number of deficiencies and health problems including slow metabolism.

By eating a small number of calories, you force your body into starvation mode. In this mode, your body uses muscle mass as fuel and slows down the metabolic rate to save energy. If you want to lose weight, you need to eat enough nutritious and healthy foods.

Even if you are eating a healthy diet and visiting the gym regularly, your metabolism can be still slow. Sleep deprivation can cause several metabolic issues. Lack of sleep promotes the production of cortisol, the hormone which stores fat. People who are sleep deprived, are more likely to eat more unhealthy foods, and gain weight. If you want to improve your metabolism, a proper sleeping regimen is key.

Calcium plays an important role in regulating the way your body metabolizes food. It helps your body to determine whether you need to burn calories or store them in the body. A diet high in calcium can help you improve your metabolism. Dairy products are the most obvious source of calcium, but you can also get it from sweet potato, figs, and broccoli. Because vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, try to take them together.

If you sit all day your body isn't using your muscles as much as it would be if you were walking around. For this reason, you begin to lose muscle mass and your resting metabolism slows. To increase your resting metabolism you need to be physically active even during the working hours. Get up from your chair every hour and take a two-minute walk. This helps maintain insulin levels and improves metabolism.

Stress is a serious issue. It can worsen your overall health and slow down your metabolism. It makes your body metabolize food slower and may cause sleep disturbance. As was already mentioned, the lack of sleep is a major risk factor for weight gain. You need to decrease your stress levels to ensure overall health. You may try meditation and other relaxing techniques.

Probiotics can improve your immune system and ramp up your metabolism. The best source of probiotics is plain greek yogurt. Look for yogurt without additives like sugar or artificial fragrances. To do their job properly, probiotics need a source of fuel. To promote their proper work include in your diet more fiber. Diet filled with probiotics and fiber helps regulate stool, prevent constipation, and decrease the risk of bleeding from the anus.

By making a habit of relaxing with the help of alcohol, you can slow down your metabolic rate. Alcohol intake contributes to the formation of toxin acetaldehyde in your body. This toxin decreases your body's ability to burn fat by 70 percent. Drinking alcohol interferes with protein synthesis, gradually decreasing your muscle mass and strength.

A low-carb diet can cause short term weight loss but is unlikely to be healthy. Carbs are a source of energy. They actually help your body metabolize protein and use it to build muscle tissue. Without carbs, your muscles may decrease and become weak. Fewer muscles mean fewer calories burned at rest. When muscles are starved of energy, you cannot exercise intensely enough to burn more calories. 

10. You have vitamin D deficiency

Most people spend a lot of time indoors and rarely see the sun. If this is about you, you most likely have a vitamin D deficiency. Because this vitamin preserves metabolism-revving muscle tissue, lack of vitamin D in the organism can slow down your metabolism.

You need to get more vitamin D. It can be done through the proper diet and from the sun. In winter, it is harder to get enough vitamin D, so you can ask your doctor about vitamin D supplements.

Weight loss is a very complex topic. It isn't enough to exercise regularly to get rid of excess fat. You need to change your lifestyle to improve metabolism and promote weight loss. Only a complex approach will help speed up metabolism and ensure a better quality of life.