Your body absorbs energy constantly from your metabolism for vital processes like digestion and breathing.
The BMR, or basal metabolic rate, is the minimal number of calories required by your body to maintain these processes.
Physical activity, muscle mass, sex, and age are among the variables that may affect metabolism and BMR.
How many calories you burn depends on the rate at which your body’s metabolism runs over time.
Your body could burn more calories both when you are active and at rest if your metabolism is fast.
If you’re someone who wants to gain weight but is unable to do so because of your fast metabolism, then this article is for you.
In this article, we would be looking at some of the ways you could slow down your metabolism.
Ways To Slow Down Your Metabolism
The following are some of the ways you may slow down your metabolism.
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Keep A Track On Calorie Intake
Not only individuals trying to lose weight should count calories. Those who want to gain weight could make sure they maintain[1] a calorie surplus necessary for weight gain by keeping track of the stuff they eat.
Find out what your basal metabolic rate is, and the amount of energy that your body utilizes while at rest in carrying out normal processes like digestion, sleeping, etc.
Your objective should be to ingest more calories each day than you would burn off. You need to consume 3000 calories more than you need every day in to gain a pound of weight in a week.
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Do Not Eat Too Much
Consuming foods in huge servings to slow down metabolism is a major myth for underweight people that needs to be debunked properly.
It could be silly to eat a lot of junk food and assume that your body won’t be damaged by it.
Make a habit to divide your meals into smaller portions to maximize the slowing down process of your metabolism and reduce unhealthy snacking habits.
Choosing foods that are high in calories and nutrients may be helpful rather than choosing foods that are high in unhealthy calories.
Anyone, regardless of metabolism, engaging in bad eating practices is at great risk for several diseases.
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Avoid Caffeinated Beverages
Caffeine is known to directly enhance metabolism. Additionally, it could increase calorie burn as it makes you less able to recognize[2] exhaustion and more energized.
If you ignore your signs of fatigue, you may expend more energy than usual. To avoid needing coffee to keep you active throughout the day, try to get adequate sleep.
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Make A Habit
Adults who wish to slow down their metabolism sometimes have to struggle[3] with eating substantial portions at each meal.
You should eat more frequent, smaller snacks and meals throughout the day, roughly every three to four hours.
This may be helpful if you have some issue that makes it difficult for you to consume a lot from a regular 3-meal arrangement or you have a lesser appetite.
It might also help you in eating enough to acquire the weight you need without the need to eat when you’re not hungry.
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Consume Milk Beverages
Despite having fewer calories, milk consumption may help you slow down your metabolism and could provide you with essential[4] nutrients crucial for weight gain.
You may choose to prepare your very own milk-based beverages by adding healthy ingredients. A few possible beverages could be milkshakes and smoothies.
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Keep Always Hydrated
Avoid drinking water with meals because it could make you feel full. Protein smoothies are a great alternative[5] to water to increase weight while also keeping you hydrated.
Medical professionals may, however, contend that consuming too much liquid may also result in weight gain.
Water that is consumed in excess is stored by the body and may contribute to weight increase often as water weight.
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Consume Dry Fruits
A great strategy to slow down metabolism could be consuming seeds, nuts, and dry fruits. These foods are also good sources[6] of monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and protein.
Adding dried fruits like prunes, apricots, and dates along with nut butter in your meals could increase your calorie and nutrient intake.
You may also use chopped dried fruits as garnishes in several recipes or prepare nut butter yourself to spread on bread.
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Make Calorie Dense Food Choices
Consuming foods high in calories and nutrients instead of junk food[7] may help you in slowing down your metabolism.
Even if you’re having a salad, you may layer in those extra calories in a more nutritious way by adding in some dried fruits.
Along with this, consuming high-calorie protein-rich meats, which could aid in muscle growth. Additionally, pick high-calorie healthy carbs like whole grains and brown rice.
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Make Regular Exercise A Habit
Regular exercising is crucial for optimum health and it also aids in slowing down your metabolism if the appropriate exercises are done correctly.
A slim person should never assume that food cannot have an impact on their body. Even the leanest person might develop an ugly paunch, so it’s crucial to avoid this situation.
This is because belly fat indicates[8] that your body’s subcutaneous fat and visceral levels are rising, which is a bad indicator.
As a result, it’s crucial to engage in a variety of flexibility-boosting, weightlifting, and aerobic workouts each day.
You may also consult a fitness trainer to seek advice on what exercises would be best for slowing down your metabolism as per your needs.
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Consume Healthy Shakes
Trying to slow down metabolism could make it challenging to consistently ingest enough calories. So, consuming liquid calories from protein shakes and smoothies could be healful.
These beverages provide a concentrated[9] dosage of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins without making you feel lethargic.
Conclusion
Unintentional weight loss brought on by a variety of circumstances like that of low-calorie intake is one of the unhealthy weight criteria which leads to unhealthy metabolism.
Gradually restoring your diet with high-nutrient, high-calorie foods and consuming water and other liquids in modest quantities is the simplest strategy to slow down your metabolism.
Getting enough sleep and rest, developing good behavioral patterns, leading a healthier lifestyle, and moderate strength-building exercises are other ways to proceed to a slower metabolism system.
However, there isn’t a single strategy that would work for everyone. Everything is subject to individual choices. Therefore, consult your doctor to help you in making the right choice.
References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- Calories: Total Macronutrient Intake, Energy Expenditure, and Net Energy Stores. Year of Publication: 1989. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218769/
- Jennifer L. Temple, Christophe Bernard, Steven E. Lipshultz, et. al. The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review. Front Psychiatry. 2017; 8: 80. Published online 2017 May 26. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080
- Jesus Lopez-Minguez, Purificación Gómez-Abellán, and Marta Garaulet. Timing of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Effects on Obesity and Metabolic Risk. Nutrients. 2019 Nov; 11(11): 2624. Published online 2019 Nov 1. doi: 10.3390/nu11112624
- Christine E. Dugan and Maria Luz Fernandez. Effects of Dairy on Metabolic Syndrome Parameters: A Review. Yale J Biol Med. 2014 Jun; 87(2): 135–147. Published online 2014 Jun 6.
- Water and Healthier Drinks. Date of Publication: June 6, 2022. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html
- Valerie K. Sullivan, Kristina S. Petersen, and Penny M. Kris-Etherton. Dried fruit consumption and cardiometabolic health: a randomized crossover trial. Br J Nutr. 2020 Nov 14; 124(9): 912–921. Published online 2020 Jun 9. doi: 10.1017/S0007114520002007
- Marta Stelmach-Mardas, Tomasz Rodacki, Justyna Dobrowolska-Iwanek, et. al. Link between Food Energy Density and Body Weight Changes in Obese Adults. Nutrients. 2016 Apr; 8(4): 229. Published online 2016 Apr 20. doi: 10.3390/nu8040229
- Joram D. Mul, Kristin I. Stanford, Michael F. Hirshman, et. al. Exercise and Regulation of Carbohydrate Metabolism. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015; 135: 17–37. Published online 2015 Aug 20. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.07.020
- Diet for rapid weight loss. Date of Publication: April 29, 2022. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000885.htm
- About the Author
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Otella has an experience of around eight years of writing about health and nutrition-related topics. She is a full-time mother and a housewife, and the time she has left after doing her mother and household duties is spent writing for Working for Health as a full-time writer. Her life goal is to raise both her boys into a gentleman, and at the same time, she wants to educate people on how to keep themselves fit by tweaking their daily diet.