Techniques For Losing Weight With A Slow Metabolism

Your metabolism describes the myriad biochemical reactions that take place in your body to keep it functioning. Metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism or diabetes can foster weight gain which can in turn exacerbate those disorders as you become less active. If you suspect that your weight gain comes from a metabolic disorder, talk to your doctor about testing. If you do uncover such a disorder, your slow metabolism won't preclude weight loss, but may slow your progress.

Basal Metabolic Rate

Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, factors in all the energy your body burns in maintenance tasks that happen even while you sleep. Simply breathing, blinking and digesting your food burn calories. How many calories your body burns depends on your weight, age, level of fitness and body composition. You might believe that larger people have slower metabolisms, but in fact the reverse is true; a larger body takes more energy to maintain and actually has a higher metabolic rate in the absence of a metabolic disorder.

Exercise

Exercise dramatically increases your metabolic rate while you do it. You can see this effect in your elevated heart rate, faster breathing and rise in body temperature. As you exercise, you burn more calories. Moreover, you continue to burn more calories after you complete your exercise routine. Scientists call this phenomenon excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, while fitness magazines typically call it after-burn. How long it lasts depends on the intensity and duration of your workout, but it can boost your metabolic rate for hours after exercise. That's in addition to the calories you burn during the exercise itself, so activity pays in two ways.

Nonexercise Activity Thermogenesis

Even exercise that doesn't feel like exercise makes a difference to your metabolism. Nonexercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, refers to the calories you burn incidentally as you run errands, take the dog for a walk, sweep the floor or dance at a nightclub. You may not be doing these things specifically for exercise, but your body still counts it toward your total activity level. Increase your NEAT levels whenever possible by walking to nearby errands, choosing stairs instead of escalators and giving household chores a little extra effort.

Diet

Maintaining a given weight requires a balance between the calories you consume and the energy you burn. If the natural aging process or a metabolic disorder has slowed your metabolism, you may need to offset this change with a lower-calorie diet. Depending on how you prefer to eat, you can lower your calories either by choosing less calorie-dense foods or by eating smaller portions of your current favorite meals. Your dietary preferences will shape the type of diet you choose, but as long as your calories dip below your energy expenditures, you will lose weight.

Managing Expectations

A slower metabolism means slower weight loss. If you once had a faster metabolism, you may remember being able to shed a few pounds a week or eating anything you chose without weight gain. If this is the case, you might find it difficult to adjust to losing half a pound a week or even going a week or two with no appreciable loss. Every loss counts, though, and while you may be on the road to a healthier weight longer than some people, your destination remains the same. Choose a diet and exercise program that you won't find onerous so you can enjoy life as you work toward a lower weight.