4 REASONS WHY YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO LOSE FAT!

Your metabolic rate will vary throughout the day depending on your diet and activity rate, it will also gradually decrease as you get older. It is important to identify some major causes of a slowing metabolism so you know what to avoid, and what to take action on:

Alcohol – Alcoholic drinks are full of sugar and calories. They can also lead to dehydration which reduces the effectiveness of your metabolism. An occasional alcoholic drink is ok. The doctor may often recommend a glass of red wine once a day, which although does have it’s multiple benefits, it is still full of calories. Binge drinking and/or drinking every day can lead to a reduced metabolism.

Sugary Foods – Sugary foods have a low nutritional value, are high in calories and digest easily. This means that less calories are burned in the digestion process and more calories are stored as fat. The occasional sugary treat is ok, but your overall diet needs to contain limited levels of sugary foods. Look at your diet as a whole and try to substitute the unhealthy foods for healthier ones. Healthier foods generally have a higher nutritional value and are harder to digest, meaning more calories are burned during the digestion process. This has a positive effect on your metabolic rate.

Large Meals – Larger meals contain more calories than smaller meals. Therefore, there is an increased likelihood that additional calories will be stored as fat. Not only that, your body will struggle to digest such large volumes of food and rather than converting it into energy, it will hold and store it as a fat reserve. To maximize your metabolism you have to break these large meals down into smaller meals that you eat more frequently.

Sedentary Lifestyle – Remaining active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle will help to stop your metabolism from slowing down. Taking your exercise more seriously can help increase your metabolic rate. If you participate in regular cardiovascular exercise and regular resistance exercise, you will be on your way to maximizing your metabolism.