Chronic diseases: Certain medical conditions such as obesity, hypothyroidism, diabetes or Cushing's syndrome can slow down metabolism. Obesity: Obese individuals with higher fat mass and lower muscle mass tend to have a slower metabolism.
Your Metabolism Will Slow Down to Store Fat
The more you work out or manage your calorie intake to lose weight, the more your metabolism wants to compensate by slowing down to maintain your current weight, this is called metabolic compensation. It kicks in to preserve and store fat for future energy.
People with an endomorph body type tend to have a slow metabolism, making it easier for them to gain weight and harder for them to lose it. This also stunts muscle growth. However, following a specific diet and exercise plan can often help people with endomorphic bodies meet and maintain their health goals.
But another 120-pound person may have a lot less lean mass and more body fat and therefore a “slow” metabolism. In fact, it is possible to have “normal-weight obesity” – a term used when referring to a person who appears thin but who is not very active and therefore has very little muscle mass, Majumdar explained.
Over time, studies have shown that metabolic rate (how fast we burn calories) starts to slow down by 2 to 3 percent each decade, beginning in our 20s. It becomes more noticeable between ages 40 and 60.
Be patient
It may take you some time to increase your metabolism — three months is a reasonable timeframe to expect to see changes. If you are having a hard time losing weight, you might consider having your metabolism tested by a professional nutritionist.
Though some individuals may not appreciate their slow metabolisms, a new study suggests that humans and other primates – who burn 50% fewer calories each day than other mammals – have such long lives because of their curiously slow metabolisms.
Muscle is denser than fat, and as it is more compact within your body, as you gain muscle mass, you end up looking thinner, no matter your physical weight. So, if you've been doing a lot of strength training lately, it's likely this is the reason that you're looking fantastic but not dropping those numbers.
A slow metabolism burns fewer calories, which means more get stored as fat in the body; that's why some people have difficulty losing weight by just cutting calories. A fast metabolism burns calories at a quicker rate, which explains why some people can eat a lot and not gain extra pounds.
Water is the key to life, and it turns out it's also one of the easiest ways to help your metabolism. Drinking water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking it. That means if you drink a few cups of water every hour, you'll keep your metabolism at peak performance all day.
People with a mesomorph-type body gain muscle and weight easily. Typically, they are able to lose weight quickly, but they can also find it easy to gain fat.
At the most basic level, not reaching your weight loss goal can occur when calorie intake is equal to or higher than calorie use. Try strategies such as mindful eating, keeping a food diary, eating more protein, and doing strength exercises.
Sugar and refined carbs are the main culprits here. So, if you want to decrease the amount of fat your body stores, you'll need to reduce or avoid sugars and refined carbs and replace them with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Your slower metabolism will slow your weight loss, even if you eat the same number of calories that helped you lose weight. When the calories you burn equal the calories you eat, you reach a plateau. To lose more weight, you need to either increase your physical activity or decrease the calories you eat.
A new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism claims that people with higher metabolic rates age faster and die younger than people without them, Science Daily reports.
The bottom line
Study findings suggest that we burn calories the fastest in our first year of life, steady down to our “normal” rate by our 20s and stay that way into our 50s.
Researchers found that metabolism peaks around age 1, when babies burn calories 50 percent faster than adults, and then gradually declines roughly 3 percent a year until around age 20.