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When I was in high school, I wanted to lose weight so I decided to go on a weight loss journey. Unfortunately, I wasn’t properly educated on how to attain my goal weight. I ate mostly salad and low fat yogurt and physically and mentally drained myself with my perpetual visits to the gym. I would listen to my stomach gurgle every night due to my lack of proper nutrients, combined with my overexertion on the treadmill. And the fact that all this led to me looking flabbier than ever was the ultimate letdown.
I’d go to bed at night, completely unable to sleep, while tossing and turning in my sheets. What gives? I’d ask myself, as I wiped away angry tears. I’m putting myself through torture on this weight loss journey, yet I’m seeing absolutely zero results! As it turns out, pretty much everything I was doing was wrong. In fact, I was unknowingly messing with my body in a detrimental way, which caused my metabolism to severely slow down. Here’s everything I was doing wrong that actually made me gain weight in the process.Here are 8 mistakes to avoid to improve your metabolism.
Too Much Cardio
When you overdo it on the treadmill, you risk muscle loss. This leads to a lack of a toned physique and, alternatively, contributes to flab. But don’t get it twisted. Cardio is great for your health, but it’s just best not to spend hours upon hours doing HIIT exercises. Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity cardio.
Not Enough Strength Training
We girlies tend to shy away from the kettlebells and dumbbells at the gym, out of fear that we’ll leave our strength training session looking like John Cena. Believe me when I say, it doesn’t work like that. In fact, when I religiously strength-trained for 60 days, I was the most physically fit and toned I’d ever been in my life. Replacing fat with muscle is the ultimate way to speed up your metabolism, and I always recommend strength training for women who want to tone up.
Too Much Processed Food
In the words of Beyoncé, “America has a problem.” This is due to several reasons, but our country has a serious issue with our eating habits. America is full of processed food and unfortunately this has a negative affect on our weight and overall health. When trying to shed a few pounds, overeating processed food will certainly slow you down. Instead, stick to a more nutritious and natural diet while on your weight loss journey.
Not Enough Sleep
You’ve gotta get those Zs in, y’all. 7-8 hours a night. It’s a non-negotiable if you want to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Overly Restricting Food Intake
Believe it or not, severely cutting down on your daily caloric intake is one of the more harmful mistakes you can make while on a diet. It will backfire in a big way, leading your body to rebel by decreasing your metabolism. While you should consume fewer calories if you’re on a diet, too much restriction will have the opposite effect than you intended. You can use an app like MyFitnessPal to calculate by how much you should reduce your calorie intake to reach your goal weight.
Not Enough Protein
I was at my heaviest weight while pursuing a vegetarian lifestyle. While I’ll always be an animal activist and only eat humanely produced meat products, I know firsthand how a lack of proper protein can mess with your metabolism. But vegans and vegetarians shouldn’t feel discouraged. There are countless ways to get your proper protein intake without eating meat, by concentrating on beans, chickpeas, and tofu scrambles.
Too Much Sugar
This one should be a given. Avoid added sugars at all costs, especially overly sugary drinks. Instead, feed your sweet tooth through organic fruit smoothies without any artificial additives.
Not Enough Long Walks
We drive everywhere nowadays, be it to work, restaurants, or the post office. Is it convenient? Of course. But it comes at a serious price when we give up on walking entirely. Try to sneak in at least half an hour a day to get your steps in.
With these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to speed up your metabolism in no time.
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