Okay, so there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve heard the word metabolism before.
It’s plastered in every weight loss magazine and diet ad known to man.
So you know of it, but do you really know what it means?
If I was standing right in front of you instead of behind this screen, could you give me the exact definition of what metabolism is? And I’m not talking the hard science-y version either.
My guess is no.
I know I sure didn’t. But this is a HUGE mistake.
Your metabolism is a powerful little machine that works hard for you.
It’s responsible for sending the right hormones and chemical messages throughout your body to help you burn calories and do so much more.
The reality is, your metabolism is like its own little science experiment; it’s a bunch of chemical reactions (think: color changing test tubes…fun!!).
And these reactions can help you burn food for energy, store it for later in the form of fat, or build muscle.
The problem is, most of us are inadvertently stuck in the middle: we ending up storing way too much for later. Newsflash: we’re not hunter gatherers anymore. We don’t need this mechanism.
Because when this happens, we create a vicious cycle that throws off our hormones even further.
As a result, we’re likely to see:
- Energy levels that plummet as the day goes on
- A constant sweet craving or need for caffeine
- The same number starting back at us on the scale no matter how little we eat or how much we workout
- Moods that are up and down like an upside down roller coaster
- Chronic fatigue that doesn’t seem to improve with an increase in sleep
- That same 5-10 lbs weight loss that only goes up and down like our moods
But Devan, isn’t it true that some of us are just blessed with faster metabolisms?
No doubt in my mind, yes! **Shout out to one of my bestie Kim for proving this one. #fact**
But the rest of us also work inadvertently at making things worse. And this doesn’t have to be the case.
With the help of today’s article, it won’t be unless you choose to change things.
The Good Genes Fairy Has Little to Do With This
Yes, there are some people who may struggle to improve their metabolisms, but I believe this a very small portion of us.
The rest of us are just avoiding what we should be doing and blaming a “slow metabolism” for it.
Now, before I go pointing fingers, I want you to understand that there are a ton of things that could be to blame. More like a shit-ton.
Some of these may very well be out of your control. That’s why your best bet is to focus on the ones you can control.
One of the things that’s out of your control is your genes. I’m certainly aware of this.
As Jillian Michaels points out, “Researchers estimate that there may be up to 10 times as many genes that increase body weight than decrease it.”
Holy crap.
And we’re not done there yet.
Michaels also mentions in her Master Your Metabolism book that, “By the age of 6, kids born to overweight mothers are 15 times more likely to be obese than kids born to normal-weight mothers.”
She continues with these additional facts:
- “Bottle fed babies have a 15 to 20% greater chance of being obese than breast-fed babies”
- “If parents are very controlling about what kids eat, their kids never develop the ability to self-regulate their intake and will likely become overweight”
- “Boys and girls who are encouraged to diet are three times more likely to be overweight five years later, due to increased binge eating, skipped breakfasts, or other unhealthy attempts to lose weight”
So we’re royally screwed, huh?
Not exactly.
The truth is, we can change things. And it’s actually possible to reverse this sh*t and kick your metabolism into high gear.
It won’t happen overnight and it will most definitely not be easy. Many will call it quits just before they actually start making real progress. But if you stick with it, you’ll start to reap the benefits in no time.
How You’re Sabotaging Your Own Metabolism (& What to Do Instead)
1) Guilty of sitting for too long?…be honest
I get it. When you’ve had a long day or week, it can be easier and more appealing to just sit and chill.
Whether you turn on the TV or dive into social media for a few hours, these mindless choices are going to make you fat and sick.
Newsflash: sitting is the new smoking. The more we sit around and do nothing, the worse off we’re going to feel both in the short term and the long run.
Plus, the more you sit, the more you feel like doing nothing. Have you ever noticed that you start to get tired after sitting for so long?
Yeah, it’s a sign that you need to get up and get moving.
And, second newsflash, all of this is messing with your metabolism which only makes matters worse.
Action step: Keep an eye on the time or how many shows you watch back to back. If you’re creeping over the two hour mark, it’s time to get up and get moving for at least 45 minutes.
Ideally, you won’t sit for longer than an hour without getting up, but I know that for some of us that’s just not realistic.
2) Read ingredient labels…even when you don’t feel like it
I know this is a huge pain in the ass, again, I get it, but you have to read anything with a food label on it.
We’re not talking about anything complex either. No numbers here!
Instead, I want you to zoom over to the ingredients. Everything that sounds like a chemical needs to go.
And don’t be fooled by rice or soy ingredients. For the most part, these can be cheap fillers too.
The problem is, these chemical preservatives, flavors, and colors are detrimental to our health.
I believe they’re the real reason why most of us are sick and fat and have to rely on prescriptions to get us by.
Case in point, I’ve been having an asthma flare up for several weeks now. Unfortunately, I had to resort to using a prescription inhaler and daily pill to treat it.
Neither one of them seem to be working and I’m having terrible side effects.
I decided to investigate like a detective and it turns out that my toothpaste has artificial ingredients (despite being a “natural” brand) that can cause allergy and asthma flare-ups.
We’re talking about toothpaste people!
And our food choices aren’t any better.
There are chemical ingredients hiding in every processed food on the shelf. You’ll even see these chemicals on meats like ham or sausage which are both smoked and preserved with additives.
Our bodies have no idea how to handle these Frankenstein ingredients. So, just like you would push off your hard math homework, our bodies decide to procrastinate and not deal with the problem head on and end up storing everything for later.
Action step: Avoid this shit like the plague! This goes for both your waistline and your overall health.
Artificial ingredients and ones promoted with “natural flavors” are just plain bad for you.
Do yourself and your family a favor by tossing this crap out and vowing to never buy it again.
3) Cut back on the caffeine and booze….seriously!!
Both of these “substances” stress your body out and cause them to go into overdrive.
When your body tries to process caffeine or alcohol, it’s such a big task that it’s one of the only things it can focus on.
So you’ll have a harder time digesting your food, absorbing nutrients, and you’ll jack your stress hormones up.
These are all the perfect ingredients for weight gain, feeling tired/sluggish, and sugar cravings.
Image Source HubSpot
On top of that, it turns out that there’s a right and wrong time for coffee. [P.S. I’m not buying that an afternoon cup is okay, but, I’m loving the logic of drinking your first cup after your cortisol levels drop (see image below to see what I mean)]
Action step: Please, please, please, cut back or eliminate these bad boys from your life. At the very least, find the right time to drink coffee and don’t drink your alcohol too close to bed.
Oh yeah, don’t go cold turkey either. Start cutting back every other day and then tackle cutting back on a daily basis.
4) Containers can be your enemy too!
I know, this can seem super nit-picky, but it’s true.
The containers we use to store our food are just as detrimental to our health as the shitty ingredients they put in our food.
It’s time to toss out the plastic. If you must keep it, you need at least a BPA free label and you should never, under any circumstance, heat these in the microwave or dishwasher.
When the plastics break down, which they inevitably will, you end up ingesting chemicals.
Sure, glass will be more expensive and far heavier, but it will keep you and your family safe.
I have glass tupperware sets that have plastic lids and glass bottoms. I throw the glass in the dishwasher and hand wash the top.
Yes, it’s more of a hassle. But, it’s also making my health a top priority. You’ll have to decide what’s more important to you.
On top of that, you need to watch out for styrofoam take out containers and foods that come in a can.
In the first case, if you must use a to-go container, take your food out of it immediately when you get home. The more time it has to steam in there, the more chemicals you’ll have seeping into your food.
As for the latter, even the lining of your cans of food can mess with your metabolism. Insane, right? I know.
Organic brands will let you know that their products are free from harmful chemicals such as BPA (also found in plastic..see point #4) but for most cheap brands on the market, this is not the case.
You can also find cartons instead of cans that are chemical free.
Action Step: Start making the switch today. Moving forward, no more plastics, styrofoam containers, or crappily lined cans.
5) Eat every 4 hours and stop stuffing yourself!
This is old news yet so many of us still don’t take it seriously.
If you’re not eating every four hours, you’re more likely to stuff your face at your next meal.
When this happens, you’re bound to toss willpower out the window and dive head first into 2-3 portions of food (usually unhealthy ones too).
You’re also going to overwhelm your system to the point that its only option is to store food for later. The exact opposite of what you want.
Action steps: Take the time to prepare healthy snacks (and meals too!) so you always have them on hand.
And you’ll need to practice discipline here too. It can be tempting to inhale all of your cute little pre-made snacks but that won’t do you any bit of good. You don’t need me to remind you of that one!
It’s also important that you stop eating just before you get full.
Since it can take 20 minutes for your brain to realize that your stomach is full, it’s essential that you put the fork down, take a breather, and walk away in some cases.
Pack up the rest of your food (in glass containers 🙂 ) and save it for later.
This little extra bit of work may keep you from inhaling this while you’re waiting to see if you feel full. And eventually you’ll understand your stopping point well before you get there.
By doing this, you’ll kiss that uncomfortable bloated feeling where all you want to do is lay down and unbutton your pants goodbye. HUGE win in my book.
See, those weren’t so bad? Just a few simple changes and you’ll start kicking your metabolism in the right direction.
For more helpful tips, check out Jillian Michaels’ book Master Your Metabolism. Many of the tips featured in this article came straight from there!
And if you have any questions for me, I’m only an email away: devan@behappynothangry.com 🙂