Fast metabolism can be a blessing because it helps you stay lean by burning a lot of extra calories throughout the day. However, if you want to put on healthy weight or gain lean muscle, fast metabolism can keep you from reaching your goals. Hard-gainers often must eat up to 1,000 extra calories or more to successfully gain muscle weight. Remember that slowing down your metabolic rate too much can cause a cascade of events that may lead to obesity, metabolic syndrome and even type 2 diabetes, according to "The Abs Diet" by David Zinczenko. Follow a few simple steps to slow down a fast metabolism.
Step 1
Wait at least an hour after waking up to take in your first meal of the day. Eating immediately upon waking up makes an excellent strategy for encouraging fast metabolism. However, by waiting, you can allow the morning's peak cortisol levels to work for you. A natural stress hormone, cortisol works by slowing down metabolism to prevent starvation and encouraging the storage of nutrients, according to "The Cortisol Connection."
Step 2
Eat three large meals throughout the day to encourage slow metabolism and weight gain. More frequent meals encourage weight loss by suppressing the aforementioned cortisol, preventing hunger and speeding up metabolic rate, says Mackie Shilstone in "The Fat Burning Bible." For your goals, however, eating large meals that spike the hormone insulin acts to slow down fat burning and further encourage the storage of blood sugar in both muscle and fat tissue.
Step 3
Snack on high-glycemic carbohydrates between or with meals. High-glycemic carbs such as white rice, pasta and bread cause large secretions of insulin from the pancreas to further slow metabolic rate. These fast-digesting carbs also promote weight gain. You do not need to eat unhealthy junk food to achieve this effect. Watermelon, mango and pineapple provide high-glycemic carbs that are obviously much healthier than chips and cookies.
Step 4
Avoid exercise such as resistance training and targeted cardiovascular sessions because they burn extra calories and speed up metabolism. Occasional recreational sports or playing with your kids should not affect metabolism as much. Replace any calories burned during exercise by immediately taking in high-glycemic carbs, such as a sports drink or fruit juice.
Step 5
Limit your use of caffeine and/or coffee and tea, which contain ingredients that naturally speed up metabolic rate, according to "Supplements 101" by Jim Stoppani. Caffeine, in particular, has potent appetite-suppressing effects that can provide another obstacle to increasing caloric intake and gaining weight.
Things You'll Need
- Watermelon
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Sport drinks
- Fruit juice
References
- "The Abs Diet"; David Zinczenko; 2004
- "The Cortisol Connection"; Shawn Talbott;2002
- "The Fat Burning Bible"; Mackie Shilstone; 2005
- "Muscle & Fitness Presents 2010 Edition: The Ultimate Supplement Handbook"; Supplements 101; Jim Stoppani, PhD; January 2010
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