Personal trainer: These are the signs you have a slow metabolism and quick ways you can boost it 

A personal trainer has shared the 13 signs you have a slow metabolism, and how you can boost yours to achieve your goal weight fast.

Rachael Attard, from Sydney, said while you might not think about it, metabolism has a ‘huge impact on our health’, particularly when it comes to weight loss and gain.

‘Simply put, metabolism is the internal process by which your body expends energy and burns calories,’ Rachael wrote on Instagram.

‘It works 24/7 by converting the food and nutrients you consume into energy.’

Rachael said some of the factors that can impact your metabolism include your genes, hormones, lack of sleep, diet, dehydration, age, stress and the medications you’re taking.  

Rachael (pictured) said some of the factors that can impact your metabolism include your genes, hormones, lack of sleep, diet, dehydration, age, stress and medications you’re taking

Some of the most common signs your metabolism is low include chronic fatigue and low energy, not feeling hungry in the morning and weight gain for no apparent reason.

Those with a slow metabolism might also experience constipation, depression, thinning hair, dry skin and brittle nails, as well as brain fog, hair loss and feeling cold all the time.

‘Other common signs frequent headaches, a low pulse rate and constant cravings for sugar and carbohydrates,’ Rachael said.

But you can address your metabolism – and the PT uses a few simple ‘tried and tested tricks’ to give hers a boost, like eating a protein-rich breakfast (pictured)

But you can address your metabolism – and the PT uses a few simple ‘tried and tested tricks’ to give hers a boost, particularly after the holiday season, when you might be feeling sluggish from over-eating and drinking.

The first thing Rachael said she does is she will have a hot cup of water and lemon.

‘Lemons are a great way to boost your metabolism, because they are high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help your immune system,’ Rachael wrote on her website. 

She said if you want to up the metabolism kick even more, you can add some cayenne pepper and ginger, which will help to promote a healthy digestive system, ‘making it easier for your metabolism to power through calories’.

Rachael (pictured) also recommends drinking a cup of warm water with lemon and making your regular water is icy cold

Next, the fitness pro always recommends that you drink icy cold water, as studies have shown this can help your metabolism.

‘By drinking cold water, your body has to work harder and burn more calories to process it. The study mentioned above found that you can burn 25 per cent more calories just by drinking cold water,’ Rachael said.

You can also still enjoy your cup of coffee, as studies have also shown that coffee and green tea also help with your metabolism – leading to more calories burned through the day.

Finally, Rachael (pictured) said increasing your muscle mass will work wonders at boosting your metabolism, and this comes from lifting weights

‘There are some foods that naturally increase your metabolism and protein is one of them,’ Rachael said. 

‘Your body burns lots more calories digesting protein than it does compared to fat and protein.’

For this reason, she recommends a protein-rich breakfast like healthy protein smoothies, yoghurt or eggs, taking care to limit sweeteners.

Finally, Rachael said increasing your muscle mass will work wonders at boosting your metabolism.

She said the amount of calories you burn per day is made up of three things:

‘First, it’s your resting (or basal) metabolic rate – so how many calories you burn at rest,’ she said. 

‘Then, it’s Thermogenesis – how many calories you burn through digestion (this sort of falls under the resting metabolic rate category).

‘Finally, it’s your physical activity – so how many calories you burn during exercise.’ 

But it’s the resting or basal metabolic rate (RMR or BMR) that makes up 60 to 85 per cent of your daily calories burned, and the only way to increase that is to boost your muscle mass.

The PT recommends you do this by lifting some weights at the gym or adding some resistance training into your workouts. 

For more information about Rachael Attard, you can visit her website here.