8 mistakes that slow down the metabolism and thus prevent weight loss

By Martin Lewicki | Mar 5, 2022 6:47 am

Many people who gain weight or are unable to lose weight blame it on their slow metabolism. Although genetic predisposition and intestinal bacteria certainly play a role here, everyone can influence it with their lifestyle. FITBOOK has listed the biggest mistakes that cause a slow metabolism.

1. Diet Trap

Although word has gotten that radical diets are bad, people still starve themselves with the weirdest weight loss programs. The problem is clear: if you reduce your calorie intake very much (to less than 1000 kcal) over a longer period of time, according to a study, your metabolism will go on the back burner.1 It is quite possible that stagnation will set in soon after the first weight loss success, because now the body simply uses fewer calories to keep all systems running. The metabolism is thus slowed down.

Much worse: the nasty yo-yo effect. Anyone who starts eating «normally» after a radical diet, i.e. falls back into their usual eating habits, initially has a calorie surplus and thus quickly regains weight.

Tip: Instead of going on a diet, you should eat a healthy, balanced and varied diet. Instead of making the mistake of falling into the short-term diet trap, which encourages a slow metabolism, try to make long-term changes to your diet and eliminate unhealthy behaviors.

2. Breakfast grump

Many people are simply not hungry in the morning or just don’t value breakfast and therefore skip it altogether. Some even deliberately skip breakfast to save calories. But this is exactly where the misconception lurks: as a study shows, the body burns significantly more calories if you skip dinner instead of breakfast.2 It has also been shown that eating a generous breakfast in particular stimulates the metabolism and consumes even more calories during the day.3 However, you should eat less in the evening.

Another study showed that the more times breakfast is skipped in a week, the higher the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is even highest if you do not eat breakfast four to five times a week on average.4

Tip: treat yourself to a good breakfast. This is not only a pleasant start to the day, but also boosts your metabolism in the morning. Better to skip dinner every now and then (or keep it small).

3. Fiber Deficit

There are studies that show that intestinal bacteria have an influence on whether you are overweight or not.5 In the meantime, you can also use the intestinal bacteria of slim people in overweight people and thus help them lose weight. But you don’t have to go that far. Fiber is one of the most important parts of food and can even reduce the risk of a number of diseases, such as colon cancer and diabetes.6 Not only that, it also helps you lose weight by keeping the all-important gut bacteria on their toes. Because intestinal bacteria play a crucial role – not only in the digestive process, but also in relation to the immune system and the entire metabolism of the body. However, if you eat a lot of highly processed foods like ready meals, candy, snack foods and fast food, you probably have a fiber deficit – a mistake that causes a slow metabolism. It is recommended to consume at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day.

Tip: It is best to eat whole grain products, legumes, fresh fruit and especially vegetables every day. Vegetables fermented with lactic bacteria such as pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi are also real fiber and vitamin bombs. You not only boost your metabolism and digestion, but also your immune system!

Also interesting: No success in losing weight? Study finds possible reason

4. Alcohol

Tip: If you don’t want to impede (and damage) your metabolism in the liver, you should avoid alcohol as often as possible. Above all, high alcohol consumption in connection with large meals is a real metabolic brake.

Also interesting: Alcohol-free beer is supposed to make you slim – what’s the point?

5. Too little exercise in everyday life

One of the biggest mistakes that contribute to a slow metabolism is lack of exercise. Anyone who drives to work in the morning, spends the whole day in the office and drives home in the evening and treats themselves to a nice dinner before going to bed clearly has too little exercise in everyday life. On the one hand, this slows down the metabolism. In addition, there is a high risk of consuming more calories than you have used at the end of the day. The weight gain is programmed.

Tip: Try to incorporate as much exercise as possible into your everyday life. Bike to work, walk a lot, take the stairs rather than the elevator, take a short walk during your lunch break, and if possible, exercise several times a week. This not only boosts the metabolism and ensures a higher calorie turnover – the body and health benefit from this as a whole!

Also interesting: How much exercise makes up for a day of sitting?

6. Refrain from weight training

Many people believe that endurance sports in particular are good for the metabolism and thus help with weight loss. That’s partly true, but studies have shown that when you have more muscle, you burn more calories. That means even if you’re sitting in the office or on the couch at home, the bigger your muscles, the more calories you’ll burn. So neglecting strength training is a mistake that can lead to a slow metabolism.

Tip: endurance sports are particularly good for burning fat and preventing cardiovascular disease. But you shouldn’t neglect strength training either! More muscles ensure a higher basal metabolic rate even when doing nothing. And short but intense resistance training (HIT) is a real metabolism booster that lasts hours after your workout.

7. Exercising too routine

Another mistake that promotes a slow metabolism is monotony. People who train a lot know the phenomenon: at some point the body gets used to the physical strain. You can no longer feel any increase in performance or muscle growth. So you have to get a little creative in order to give the body new impulses and thus lure the metabolism out of its «comfort zone». So don’t always do the same exercises in the gym or run the same distance at the same pace day in and day out in the park. Try sprints, hill runs, or a whole new route instead. Or just go swimming instead of running. In the gym, it is a good idea to try out new concepts such as pyramids, supersets, etc. during strength training or to take part in one of the many courses such as spinning or yoga. Crossfit is also a great way to re-stress the body and kick the metabolism – figuratively speaking – in the buttocks.

Tip: Routine is good, but variety is even better. Anyone who does sports regularly ensures that the metabolism has something to do. But in order for the metabolism to really get going, you should include a lot of variety in your training plan and stimulate the body with different sports.

8. Too little sleep

One factor that is often underestimated is sleep. Whether it’s losing weight or productivity, if you don’t sleep enough and struggle through the day, you’re not just ruining the day. Important metabolic and hormonal processes take place during sleep. So if you often sleep too little, you damage your health by slowing down and negatively influencing these metabolic processes.

In a study by the University of Chicago, researchers found that overweight dieters who slept an average of 8.5 hours primarily lost fat. In contrast, dieters who slept only 5.5 hours were more likely to lose muscle mass.9

Also interesting: The optimal sleep duration for every age