Trying to lose weight, but can’t seem to shed those last few pounds? It’s a common problem a lot of us have when we start exercising. We see a change in our energy and our stamina for more exercise, but a lot of the time we can’t seem to lose those last pesky pounds.
Nutrition plays a big part in losing weight and exercise plays an even bigger part in burning fat, however it’s your metabolism that’s key. See, every single cell in your body plays a role in energy metabolism, which is the process of turning the food that you eat into energy that keeps your heart beating and your entire body moving. The faster your metabolism is, the more calories you burn.
Just like there are ways to speed up your metabolism such as working out and changing your diet, there are also lots of ways that you could be potentially slowing it down.
Check out what the boot camp in Brea says on the top 4 things to avoid in order to keep your metabolism at its best.
An Inconsistent Eating Schedule
In a study done by the Hebrew University in 2012, lab mice that were fed high fat foods throughout different times of the day gained more weight than mice that ate a similar high fat diet and were fed on a regular schedule. Researchers in the study suspect that eating at the same time everyday trains your body to burn more calories between meals.
Here’s some tips to help you upgrade your eating habits so you can maximize fat burning and keep your hunger in check:
Try eating something every 3 to 4 hours. A lot of people chose to eat three moderate sized meals and one snack, while others prefer to eat four smaller meals a day. It’s up to you to figure out what combination will work best, but timing your meals this way will help to burn fat by preventing excess insulin (the fat storing hormone) production, allowing leptin to help control your appetite and metabolism as well as balance the stress hormone known as cortisol. You should also try to eat at the same time every day, give or take an hour.
Always eat within 45 minutes of finishing a workout. This snack or meal is one of the only ones of the day that should not contain very much fat and should be somewhat higher in carbohydrates. For instance, have a smoothie made with fruit, juice, and protein powder, but not flaxseeds or oil.
Don’t multitask and eat at the same time. Try not to eat while you are doing other things like watching TV, browsing the internet, or working. Focus on enjoying your meal and relaxing while you eat.
Eat the protein on your plate first. One quick tip is to eat whatever protein is on your plate first so you can help to speed the signal to your brain that are full.
Skipping Your Morning Breakfast
When you skip out on breakfast (arguably the most important meal of the day), you not only just set yourself up to overeat at lunch, but you’re actually telling your body to conserve energy and that translates to burning calories more slowly. It’s been said that people who skip their morning breakfast meal are 4.5 times more likely to be obese.
Try to eat within 1 hour of waking. Eating within an hour of waking up is the ideal time to get your breakfast in because you are more likely to overeat when you don’t consume food within the first few hours of daily activity.
Eat protein for breakfast. To make sure that you don’t go too hungry throughout the day, try combining your starchy carbs at lunch, dinner, or after a workout rather than at breakfast time. Stick to heartier foods like eggs or whey protein smoothies for breakfast and you’ll end up eating less throughout the day.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
A recent 2012 study found that people who get less sleep tend to move less the next day, which means that they burn fewer calories. Not only that, but sleep deprivation actually reduces the amount of energy that your body uses at rest, slowing down your resting metabolic rate, according to the team of German and Swedish researchers.
Here’s some tips on how to get more sleep:
Set a consistent bedtime. Because your body needs routine, it’s a good idea to set a bedtime for yourself during the week and on weekends too.
Shut everything down. Get out of the habit of falling asleep to the TV. Even the smallest amount of light can disturb your sleep so shut everything down and grab a sleep mask to fall asleep faster.
Stop eating 3 hours before bed. Heaving drinking and eating before bedtime increases your chance of indigestion or having to get up in the middle of the night. If you have to eat a little something, make sure it’s a light snack.
Being Dehydrated
Every one of your body’s cellular processes, including your metabolism, depends on water. If you’re dehydrated, you could be burning up to 2% fewer calories than you normally would, so be sure to drink enough water throughout the day.
The Brea boot camp wants you to be sure to keep these tips in mind the next time you find yourself getting frustrated over losing those last couple pounds, you could just be doing something that’s slowing your metabolism way down.