Ten Behaviors That May Slow Your Metabolism
by Melinda McGarty Webb
Metabolism. It’s a term we throw around all the time, but do we really understand precisely what it means and what affects it? Metabolism is simply the method by which our bodies take the food and liquids we ingest and turn them into the energy our organs and bodily processes need to function. The problem lies when we take in more calories than our bodies can put to use. When that happens, the excess energy gets stored as fat. So in order to stay trim and lean, we want our metabolisms to burn through those calories as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, we can be doing things today — even right at this very moment — that adversely affect our metabolisms and make our bodies burn calories more slowly. So read on and see if you are making any of these 10 mistakes — and then make a change.
1. Sitting too much
How long has it been since you got up and got your body moving? If it’s been more than an hour, you’re probably not doing your metabolism any favors. So if you can’t stand up while you read the rest of this article, then run up and down the stairs a few times when you’re done, or do two minutes of fast jumping jacks, jog in place, (high knees, if possible,) or do whatever short burst of activity you prefer.
Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic has conducted extensive research on how sitting affects our health. “Researchers have linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels,” he writes on the clinic’s website.
Some physicians recommend standing or moving for at least 10 minutes out of every hour. And if you’re watching television at night, your exercise needn’t be limited to pointing and clicking the remote control. Some people place an exercise bike or treadmill within viewing distance, keep hand weights nearby, or do floor exercises while watching. Squeezing in a mini-workout during business hours can be trickier. Levine suggests standing while talking on the phone or eating lunch, or getting a standing desk. He also suggests conducting meetings while walking laps, or working while walking on a treadmill.
2. Getting too little shut-eye
“There are studies that show when you don’t get enough sleep, the day after, you crave carbs later in the day, and that makes you sleep worse the next night,” says Dr. Tracy Bloom, a chiropractor who also specializes in diagnostic nutritional medicine at the Bloom Well Center in Albany. “What happens is your blood sugar drops in the middle of the night, and your body produces adrenaline and cortisol to wake you up to eat, or you don’t sleep as deeply, so you get up and eat more the next day.” It’s a vicious cycle.
According to an article about the metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation in the June, 2007 issue of Sleep Medicine Reviews, sleep loss may be linked to both obesity and diabetes. It says current studies suggest that when someone doesn’t get enough sleep, three things can occur that can potentially lead to weight gain and/or diabetes: glucose metabolism is altered; our appetites can increase; and our energy expenditures can decrease. If we’re tired, we’re less likely to feel like exercising too.
“We should all aim for at least 64 ounces of water a day,” suggests Dr. Stuart Erner, a bariatric physician with Capital Region Progressive Medicine and Longevity Practice in Albany. “You could also add some green tea to the equation. Even if you have regular green tea, it has very little caffeine in it. It also has something in it called EGCG, (or epigallocatechin.) This EGCG can enhance thermogenesis and enhance weight loss.”
University of Utah Professor E. Wayne Askew, director of the Division of Foods and Nutrition in the University of Utah College of Health, has found evidence that eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day not only help keep the body hydrated, but may bolster its metabolic rate as well, resulting in more efficient calorie burning, according to university literature.
4. Less efficient exercising
Many people think they can hop on the treadmill and walk their way to weight loss. But while low intensity cardiovascular exercise may be good for your heart and your overall health, it might not rev up your metabolism as much as you’d like.
“Unless you exercise extremely vigorously five or six times a week, it is not going to be a very useful tool to lose weight — especially in the early stages of a weight loss program,” says Erner, “You will benefit more in weight loss if you do short, intense bursts of activity — things like high intensity interval training or strength training. If you skip these, what you’re doing is missing out on what’s called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.” That term refers to the increase in oxygen intake that occurs after strenuous exercise. It’s why we involuntarily breathe rapidly during exertion — our bodies are trying to make up for the oxygen debt created — and we burn calories more quickly during this time.
5. Too many simple carbs
“Your refined carbs and sugars are one of the biggest things that slow your metabolism, because they’re so easy to digest,” explains Andrea Lilley, a registered nurse and owner of The Ideal U, a weight loss and wellness clinic in Albany. “The body doesn’t need to work hard to digest them … It kind of goes into hibernation mode. Typically people say, ‘Oh, I just have a candy bar because it gives me energy.’ Yes, it gives you a burst of energy, but that’s it. Then, your body just shuts down. That’s why people have those highs and lows.. Every time you have a simple carb or sugar, you’re encouraging your insulin to secrete, and when your insulin secretes, if it doesn’t have anywhere to go — almost like an overload — it stores fat. Our metabolisms slow down and we put on weight.”
6. Not enough lean protein
Some physicians — Erner among them — say that on the whole, people in our society don’t get enough lean protein, and that it has a detrimental effect on our metabolisms. “Why is that important?” he asks. “Because protein has the highest thermic effect of the three macronutrients, (proteins, fats and carbohydrates.) If a person wants to know what a good amount of protein is on a daily basis, we usually tell them to aim for their body weight x 0.7. For example, a 200-pound person should be eating about 140 grams of protein a day — again, lean, healthy protein.” That lean protein not only helps maintain lean muscle tissue, which can deteriorate during weight loss, but helps burn fat as fuel. As we all probably know, muscle burns more calories than fat.
“Women in general don’t get enough protein … Women don’t generally sit down and have an 18-ounce steak,” says Lilley. “Women have to think about how they can put extra protein in their diets — whether it’s a protein shake, or chicken breasts or tofu. Protein really is the key to having healthy muscle and a good metabolism, and feeling fuller longer.”
7. Eating too little
Yes, you read that correctly. Many of us can tend toward the extreme if left to our own devices. “People will sometimes reduce their caloric intake too drastically,” says Erner. “This can lead to starvation mode. When that happens, the body starts to shut down, and store fat, and you don’t metabolize calories as efficiently.”
The same holds true when we skip breakfast. “People should eat within an hour of waking up,” says Lilley. “If not, your body feels like it needs to conserve energy and it goes into survival mode. So it starts to store energy and slow down your metabolism.”
8. Stress, stress & more stress
Let’s not sugar coat it here — stress wreaks havoc on our bodies. “You can keep your fat regulatory hormones balanced, if you can manage your stress,” says Erner. “But if you don’t, they go out of balance. We tend to tell our patients to experiment with yoga, transcendental meditation, or relaxing with a book, or music — something that helps you manage your stress. But that’s easier said than done.”
If possible, avoid stressful situations when you can. But we live in a stressful world, and to combat the unavoidable difficulties, we can choose to exercise, find activities that relax us, and be aware of what foods or substances exacerbate our response to stress.
9. Avoiding spicy foods
“Avoiding spicy foods is actually not a good thing — that is, unless your GI system can’t tolerate it,” says Erner. “The reason we should get some spicy foods into our diet is that they contain things called capsaicins. These can boost your metabolism by as much as 50 percent for three hours after you eat them.” If your poor digestive system just can’t tolerate spice, though, (as happens to many of us as we age,) the doctor suggests supplementing your diet with nutraceuticals containing capsaicin-like compounds.
10. Not enough B vitamins
“Not taking in enough B vitamins can be a problem,” says Erner. “If people don’t eat enough foods rich in B Vitamins, like leafy green vegetables and some fruits, it will slow their metabolisms. All of my patients are on at least a multi-vitamin, or sometimes a B-complex, to make sure they’re not lacking in Vitamin B.” These vitamins are essential to metabolizing proteins, carbohydrates and fats into energy for our bodies to use.