When you take insulin, sugar can enter your cells, dropping the overall glucose levels in the blood. If you take in more calories than you need, your cells retain more glucose.

If your cells do not use the glucose, it will be stored as excess fat. Hormone levels play an essential role in your metabolic age and how fast your metabolism is. Low estrogen or testosterone levels may slow the metabolism and lead to the body storing excess fat. Lower hormonal levels also lead to muscle loss, which leads to a higher body fat mass.

Natural dips in hormone levels occur as we age, especially when women experience menopause. To prevent weight gain, leading a healthy lifestyle is essential.

Age is a significant factor that may slow down your metabolism, resulting in weight gain. As we age, our bodies will experience various hormonal changes that may cause muscle tissue loss.

Lean body mass burns more calories than fat can, even when at rest. As muscle tissue decreases with age, the body may become less effective at burning calories. Without proper strength training, many people may experience weight gain as they get older.

Certain medications can impact your metabolism , including long-term use of anti-inflammatory steroids, leading to an increase in appetite and calorie overconsumption. These medications are also associated with higher blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and additional fat storage. To offset the potential negative impacts of medications on your metabolism, you must exercise regularly and follow a nutritious diet.

A caloric deficit is when your body burns more calories than it takes in, resulting in weight loss. If you cut your calories dramatically and suddenly, your metabolism may slow, preventing you from losing weight.

Additionally, extreme calorie deficits are not sustainable and often contribute to frustration or binge eating, causing weight gain in the long run. Your metabolism is an essential part of regulating various bodily functions, including energy level, the ability to lose or gain weight and regulating the body temperature.

The health and efficiency of your metabolism directly impact your sense of wellbeing. While a metabolism slows naturally with age, numerous factors may cause metabolism to work more slowly. Fortunately, lifestyle changes and addressing underlying causes can help to speed up the metabolism.

One of the most apparent signs of a slow metabolism is weight gain. Generally, your diet quality and level of exercise are some of the most critical factors in gaining weight. A slow metabolism can also contribute to weight gain. A less efficient metabolism slows calorie conversion, meaning you burn fewer calories.

Using fewer calories causes your body to store additional fat. Another common symptom of a slow metabolism is the inability to lose weight effectively. A slower metabolism can make it more challenging to lose weight because the body strives to conserve calories for energy.

A slow metabolism burns fewer calories, making it more likely to keep weight on. Additionally, slower metabolism may make it difficult for people to lose weight even if they initiate positive changes to their diet and exercise routines. Many people with a slower metabolism may experience chronic fatigue or feel lethargic.

If your metabolism is slow, the process of breaking down food and turning the calories into energy levels will be slower. If this process slows, it will diminish your overall energy levels. If you have a slow metabolism, you may be unable to shake a sleepy, groggy feeling or find that you tire very easily.

Research shows that changes in body composition and food intake may influence the perception of fatigue. Your body requires a healthy immune system to prevent bacteria or germs from making you sick. Your immune system can be negatively impacted by slow metabolism and make you more vulnerable to getting sick or feeling weak in general.

Additionally, you may experience joint or muscle stiffness, pain and weakness. Some people with a slow metabolism may experience dry, irritated skin prone to cracking.

A metabolic imbalance may reveal itself through skin irritation. Dry, itchy, flaky or oily skin may even be accompanied by paleness or irregular pigmentation.

The hair growth cycle requires proper nutrients to continue generating hair. While some people may experience hair thinning or a change in texture, others may notice their hair is duller than usual. Additionally, some may even experience more widespread hair loss. Mood swings are a common symptom related to a slow metabolism.

Those with a slow metabolism may experience mood changes or be more prone to various emotions. In some cases, people with a slower metabolism may be more likely to experience depressive symptoms or anxiety. Depression or a negative mood may also lead some people to lead a less healthy lifestyle, further slowing the metabolism.

Another side effect of a slow metabolism may be difficulty concentrating or feeling forgetful. If your metabolism is not functioning correctly, you may experience short-term memory lapses or be more forgetful than usual. Focusing on tasks or important projects may also be more challenging for you.

Without proper nutrition, your body cannot support various mental processes. A slow metabolism can cause weight gain and make it difficult for people to lose weight. You can make numerous lifestyle changes that can promote a healthier metabolism and help you lose excess weight.

While your metabolism is determined by various factors, including age and genetics, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and exercising can help. If you are looking to boost your metabolism, you may want to consider these eight tips.

Those who have more body muscle often have higher metabolisms that work more efficiently. The body requires more energy to maintain muscle mass than it needs to maintain fat.

Increasing muscle mass can boost your resting metabolic rate , meaning your body will burn more calories per day. Strength and weight training can improve overall health and stimulate metabolism. There's nothing more frustrating than hitting the gym every day, eating healthy food and still having trouble shaving off those excess kilos.

If you've ever felt this way it might point to signs of a slow metabolism and trust us, you're definitely not alone. We're sure you've heard the terms 'slow metabolism' and 'fast metabolism' thrown around. In fact, lots of people complain they've got a slow metabolism, which can impact their ability to lose weight and burn fat.

So, what exactly is a slow metabolism, what causes it and how can you turn a slow metabolism into a fast one? There are a lot of factors involved in metabolic processes in the body so we're breaking them down. The metabolic rate simply refers to how fast fuels are broken down to keep an organism's cells running.

Basically, it's the amount of energy expended over a specific period of time. This rate differs from person to person based on a variety of factors like activity level how much you exercise , environmental conditions how hot or cold the weather is and your body size.

There are a few different ways to measure your metabolic rate so let's take a look at the different components below. The basal metabolic rate BMR refers to the calories you burn when your body is performing basic life-sustaining functions such as breathing, growing, adjusting hormone levels and keeping the heart beating [1].

Your BMR accounts for the most amount of energy expended throughout the day. An individual's BMR is influenced by a bunch of different factors including age, weight, height, gender, diet and physical activity [2]. For example, someone who sits behind a computer all day at work or watches TV would probably have a lower BMR than a tradie who is on their feet all day.

Resting metabolic rate RMR and BMR are often used interchangeably but they aren't exactly the same thing. While BMR measures the minimum number of calories the body needs to perform basic functions, RMR looks at the number of calories your body burns while asleep or resting.

In a lot of cases, your metabolic age and your actual age don't match up. Your metabolic age looks at how your BMR compares to other people in your age group. Since your metabolic rate changes with age, generally at a slower metabolic rate, if your metabolic age is higher than your actual age it's a good indicator that you need to improve your metabolic rate by improving your diet and increasing your physical activity.

Everybody's metabolic rate will look different — after all, no 2 people are the same. Plus, your basal metabolic rate is influenced by a variety of factors including:. If you have a fast metabolism it means your body burns calories and uses more energy at a quicker rate than someone with a slow metabolism.

When you've got a fast metabolism, your body needs more calories to maintain weight in comparison to someone with a slow metabolism. A slow metabolism affects your ability to process food and therefore, can lead to weight gain. If you've ever hit the gym regularly, watched what you eat and still have difficulty losing weight or experienced unexplained weight gain then these might be signs of a slow metabolism.

Let's take a closer look at some slow metabolism symptoms you may not even know are impacting your ability to lose weight. As we've already mentioned, a slow metabolism can be caused by a variety of factors from body size, age, gender, hormones and even sleep deprivation.

If you experience weight gain and you're not exactly sure why it might be due to a slow metabolism. This means your food intake isn't getting converted into energy at a fast speed.

This may be due to something more simple like a poor diet and not enough exercise but it could also be due to insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity or a hormone imbalance. If you're trying to work out whether your slow metabolism symptoms are caused by any of these factors, speak to your doctor to get to the root cause of the issue and figure out what's causing weight gain.

The good news is even if you have a slow metabolism it can be treated and your slow metabolic rate can get faster. So, if you've got a slower metabolism and want to improve your metabolic health then keep on reading for some tips and tricks.

Sometimes, you're born with an unfair advantage due to genetics and for a lot of women, weight loss can be difficult because your body is working against you.

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