Are you struggling to lose weight and keep it off? Do the few extra pounds around your midsection aggravate you every time you feel like you're working hard at the gym? These issues may be due to a slow metabolism! Good news! Today's blog post covers what your metabolism is, factors that affect the metabolism, and ways to improve metabolic rate. Keep scrolling to learn more!

What is your metabolism?

It is not uncommon for those with difficulty of losing weight to have an issue with their metabolism. In fact, the metabolism plays a huge role in converting food and burning calories.

The metabolism is the rate at which the body burns calories for energy. Through internal processes, the metabolism 'metabolizes' after eating and drinking and is consistently working throughout the day.

A "slow metabolism" refers to the slowing rate at which your body is able to burn calories. It is important to note that the faster your metabolic rate is, the better able you are to burn calories quicker and more efficiently.

In order to improve or speed up your metabolism, you might consider adding in additional lifestyle habits for a healthy metabolism. Keep scrolling to learn the 5 best ways to improve your metabolism!

Factors that affect metabolism:

If you feel that your metabolism seems to be slow or sluggish, you are not alone. Unfortunately, some factors that contribute to the metabolic rate cannot be controlled as genetics and hormones come into play.

When you do anything that requires energy, your metabolism fires up. Even when resting, your body is continuously burns calories for survival. This is called your RMR, resting metabolic rate.

There are many factors that can impact the metabolism; ones that you can control and others that are inherently tied into your biology. These factors include:

• Body type: Those with more muscle mass tend to have faster metabolisms due to increased muscle tissue, which essentially burns calories faster than any other bodily tissue.

• Age: Both male and female metabolism slow down with age. It is common to start seeing a decrease in rate around age 60+.

• Sex: Males tend to have a faster metabolism rate than females as they tend to have more muscle mass.

• Nutrition: Certain foods have a faster thermic effect when consumed. Foods high in protein have the highest thermic effect, thus improving a faster metabolism.

• Hormones: There is a great connection between hormones and weight gain. Hunger and fullness hormones such as leptin and ghrelin are crucial hormones in maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism.

5 Ways to 'Reset' Your Metabolism

Although there really isn't a way to 'reset' your metabolism entirely, there are many ways in which you can improve or speed up your metabolic rate. Below is 5 of the best ways to help boost your metabolism!

1. Eat (more frequently)

It's common to think that you have to skip meals and eat less to lose weight. However, doing so may negatively impact your metabolism.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eating too few calories can cause a person's metabolism to slow down and the body won't be able to conserve as much energy (Kaufman, 2021).

If you're someone who struggles with getting enough calories in a day, try eating smaller meals, more frequently. This will help rev up your metabolism and help you get your daily caloric intake in. Some people may not have the time or desire for 5-6 smaller meals in a day, so try to aim for healthy meals high in nutrients to help support your metabolism.

2. Lift weights

We all know the many benefits of incorporating resistance training into your daily exercise routine; however, did you know that lifting weights can help improve your metabolism?

Lifting weights is a great way to get stronger, improve bone density, and promote lean muscle growth. When you build muscle, muscle tissue burns more calories throughout the day opposed to burning fat tissue. So, the more muscle mass you have on your body, the faster calories burn on a day to day basis.

Research suggests that incorporating resistance training led to slight increase in metabolic rate as well as reduction in fat mass and increase in lean mass (Schoenfeld, 2018).

Resistance training can be anywhere from lifting weights at the gym to CrossFit, bodyweight exercises, and the use of resistance bands to any exercise!

3. Stay Hydrated

4.Get enough sleep

According to research from 2016, people who have less sleep may have a lower metabolic rate (Spaeth, 2015). This is because the body reduces metabolic rate to conserve energy when a person sleeps less. Additionally, the study also found a correlation between weight gain in those who did not get enough sleep,

Although quantity of sleep hours are different for everyone, the CDCrecommends that adults between the age 18-60 should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Your body needs to rest in order not only perform properly, but also recover properly. Try to avoid late light scrolling on TikTok and sleep in a cold room with limited light. Getting into a healthy routine with adequate amount of hours spent sleeping will overall help improve your metabolism!

5. Eat enough protein

Consuming foods high in protein is very beneficial for healthy metabolic functions. Research links a protein-rich diet to changes in hormone secretion, alterations in gluconeogenesis, and a higher thermic effect of food (TEF). In other words: protein can help kickstart your metabolism.

Protein has the highest TEF out of the three main macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fats. In addition, protein also takes the body longer to break down, making you fuller for longer!

Common foods high in protein that can be added to your diet are:

• Eggs

• Lean meat & fish

• Greek yogurt

• Nuts & nut butters

• Beef jerky

• Protein powder/shakes

• Protein bars

The Bottom Line:

The metabolism is one of the many amazing functions of the human body that contributes to our overall health. As for weight gain and weight loss, the metabolism is the bodily function we want to keep healthy and at a consistent, fast rate.

Having a fast metabolic rate can help to burn more calories throughout the day as a slow metabolism takes longer for the body to process the energy it needs.

There are many factors that can impact the metabolism; ones that you can control and others that are inherently tied into your biology. Although some of these factors cannot be reversed, many can be improved with healthy lifestyle habits!

Consuming enough calories, weight training, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep are all factors that may help speed up and improve metabolic function.

You may also consider a metabolism booster that is safe and effective for speeding up the metabolism. AstroFlav's Meta Burn A.M.'s comprehensive formula attacks stubborn body fat from multiple angles, helping you to effectively and safely reach your weight-loss goals. This unique combination of ingredients will reduce appetite, maximize metabolism, and boost Glucose absorption - all without an arduous exercise routine.

At AstroFlav, we want the best for our customers. It is our goal to help everyone achieve their fitness goals and steer them in the right direction with trust-worthy advice AND trust-worthy supplements!

RESOURCES

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258944/

Spaeth, A. M., Dinges, D. F., & Goel, N. (2015). Resting metabolic rate varies by race and by sleep duration. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 23(12), 2349–2356. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21198Miller, T., Mull, S., Aragon, A. A., Krieger, J., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2018). Resistance Training Combined With Diet Decreases Body Fat While Preserving Lean Mass Independent of Resting Metabolic Rate: A Randomized Trial. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 28(1), 46–54. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0221

https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/weight-and-body-positivity/4-ways-low-calorie-diets-can-sabotage-your-health