Metabolic Slowdown and What To Do About It

December 13th, 2009 by

By Erik Ledin

Do you find that no matter what diet you try or how much exercise you do, you just can’t seem to lose fat anymore? Were you once pleased with your fat-loss progress, but now find yourself staring this big, ugly plateau in the face?

Nothing seems to work for you anymore and you’ve tried it all – high carbs, low carbs, fat burners, low calories, session after session of mind-numbing cardio. That flab isn’t going anywhere.

Frustrating, isn’t it? It’s like a brick wall standing in your way.

Your problem may be a damaged metabolism–a very real phenomenon – caused by prolonged dieting. I know that may sound scary, but it’s not as bad as some people make it out to be. With all the extremely low-calorie eating and hours of cardio that some people do day in and day out, it’s actually very commonplace. Rest assured, you’re not alone.

And I’ve got some good news for you. There’s a pretty simple way to repair your sluggish metabolism. Contrary to popular–albeit ill-informed–opinion, metabolic “damage” is not permanent and metabolism does not shut off. Yes, it can slow down, but this is actually a normal and expected response when you’re eating sub-maintenance calories.

There is a physiologically-based adaptive response that the body undergoes when eating in a caloric deficit. The hormones that govern metabolic rate and fat loss respond in a way that serves to preserve bodyfat. And the effect is magnified the leaner you get (which is often associated with the longer you’re trying to lose fat). End result? Slower, if not altogether stalled, fat loss. No matter how good your nutritional program, if you’re eating in a caloric deficit, your metabolism will attempt to adjust accordingly.

Ok, enough of the whys. How do we get that metabolism humming again? First off, you need to lose the short term thinking and adopt a longer term mindset. This is critical. Read more about Repairing a Slow Metabolism.

Find out how Sleep Deprivation Interferes with Weight Loss.

Find out about how you can receive a customized training and nutrition program for maximum fat loss designed just for you!