It’s a new year once again which equates to a fresh start – more importantly, it’s time to make fresh resolutions that we will either keep or break. While many hope to change their lifestyles, get better jobs, or to study harder, there are quite a few resolutioners whose biggest goal for 2019 (as with the past many years) is to get back in shape. As much as the thought of a new beginning sounds enticing and can give us a boost of inspiration, there are those who simply can’t stick with their resolutions.

Understanding Metabolism

There are many questions to consider when it comes to staying in shape: what’s your goal? Do you want to lose weight or build muscle? What type of workout do you prefer? Let’s say that you have thought of these things carefully and you consistently do your best to achieve results. However, you notice that no matter how controlled your diet is, how long you exercise, and how many glasses of water you drink in a day, you just can’t seem to shake off the extra few pounds. Why does that happen to you? The answer could be in your genetics.

Metabolism plays a crucial role in how many calories you burn in a day. Firstly, it is important to understand what metabolism actually means. This biological process refers to your body’s capacity to burn fats, protein, and carbohydrates to convert into energy, which you use to do things, therefore starving yourself is not the way to go. It pays to know the real meaning of the word because a misunderstanding can cause a great deal of harm to one’s health. As per expert Dr. Avigdor Arad of the Mount Sinai Physiolab, most people pertain to the metabolism as metabolic rate, but these are relatively two different things.

Going back to slow metabolism, it’s important to not be hard on yourself as this could only cause an adverse effect on your health. Don’t push yourself too hard in a bid to lose weight, don’t skip meals just to shed the pounds, and never do extreme workouts without consulting your physiotherapist. Instead, educate yourself and learn how your body works and accept that genetics play a crucial role in how you look at the end of the day. There are many people who suffer from poor metabolism, which means that they put on weight despite following a healthy diet. Here are some of the most common signs of slow metabolism that you should look out for.

Weight Gain

Gaining a few pounds is normal when you exceed the suggested calorie count per day or don’t do any physical activity. If you’re a couch potato or follow a high-calorie diet with your only exercise being the occasional trips to the bathroom, then it doesn’t take a scientist to explain the cause behind your weight gain. However, this symptom is applicable to those who have a healthy lifestyle, meaning they adhere to a well-balanced diet and keep up with a fitness routine, but still, unexplainably gain weight.

Always Tired

It’s normal to get tired, but to always feel worn out? That’s definitely an indicator of an underlying health problem. This is caused by your body’s inability to digest or break down food properly, therefore you can’t absorb the nutrients. Because the conversion to energy is not happening properly, you may feel sluggish and oftentimes too tired to do anything – all the more reasons to convince yourself to move more often.

Worrisome Physical Changes

The little things, sometimes, we tend to ignore. For example, if you notice you have dry skin, it may be a sign of slow metabolism, so changing your lotion or soap will not fix the issue. This happens because cells aren’t as productive as they used to be, which takes a toll on your skin. The same goes for hair and nails which become dry and brittle over time.

Bad Headaches

Constantly having headaches and migraines? This may be a symptom of slow metabolism. This is a result of messed up thyroid hormones. So if you have an underactive thyroid gland, this can trigger excruciatingly painful and debilitating headaches.

How to Turn Things Around

If you’re feeling sluggish, and you tend to crave sugar just to give you the boost you need. The danger comes when you crave for it more often, so you may be consuming more than what you intended. However, did you know that there’s a better way to speed up your metabolism?

Arad suggests you keep sugary food at bay and eat more protein. Be active as well, move whenever you can, for instance, instead of having your food delivered, why not walk to the nearest supermarket and fetch everything you need? That way you can make sure there are less artificial ingredients you use. Lastly, consume healthy fats found in almonds, avocados, and chia seeds among many others.