Metabolism

Why do you think your metabolism is slow? Is it a medical diagnosis? Or are you assuming that it's slow and if so, why?

This is from the mayo clinic web site:

Question
Slow metabolism: Is it to blame for weight gain?My sister says that she's overweight because she has a slow metabolism. Is there such a thing?
Answer
from Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Yes, there is such a thing as a slow metabolism. But it's rare, and it's usually not what's behind being overweight or obesity — that's usually a matter of diet and exercise.

Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for functions such as breathing, circulating blood and repairing cells. The number of calories your body uses for these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Several factors determine your basal metabolic rate:

Your body size and composition. If you're larger or have more muscle mass, you will burn more calories, even at rest. (So overweight people are more likely to have a faster metabolic rate — not a slower one.)
Your sex. If you're a man, you probably have less body fat and more muscle mass than a woman of the same age, so you burn more calories.
Your age. As you get older, your muscle mass decreases, which slows down the rate at which you burn calories.
Rather than metabolism, factors more likely to contribute to weight gain include:

Eating too many calories
Getting too little exercise
Genetics and family history
Certain medications

Unhealthy habits, such as skipping breakfast or not getting enough sleep
If you're concerned about your weight, talk with your doctor about healthy changes you can make. And if you still think your metabolism is too slow, your doctor can check it or check for rare conditions that can cause problems with metabolism, such as hypothyroidism and Cushing's syndrome.



And this is a good article from WebMD on how to increase your metabolism:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/increase-your-metabolism-start-losing-fat

This is from the last page:

The straight-up truth. As for other much-hyped metabolism boosters like green tea, caffeine, and hot peppers, it seems you’re better off focusing your weight loss efforts elsewhere. A compound in green tea called ECGC has been shown to elevate metabolism by a small amount, Clark tells WebMD, but it’s not enough to make a difference in weight. Capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers that gives them their heat, boosts metabolism, too, but again, it’s not a significant enough change to have a weight loss benefit. Caffeine may or may not aid in weight loss -- as a central nervous system stimulant, it absolutely does increase metabolism, she says, but studies on its weight effects have had mixed results.


Go fish. EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acids found only in fish oil, may have the power to dramatically boost your metabolism -- by about 400 calories per day, researchers from the University of Western Ontario report. Fish oil increases levels of fat-burning enzymes and decreases levels of fat-storage enzymes in your body. For the best metabolism boosting benefit, choose capsules containing at least 300 milligrams of EPA and DHA total.


Keep your cool. According to DavidAllison, PhD, professor of biostatistics and director of the clinical nutrition center at the University of Alabama, in Birmingham, our reliance on modern appliances like cozy heaters and chilly air conditioners may play a part in the size of our waists. Keeping ourselves too comfortable reduces the energy we expend to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer, Allison says. Plus, both animals and people consume more food when temperatures are neutral, and eat less when they feel too hot or cold. You don't need to trash your modern conveniences, of course, but it won't hurt to turn them down a little -- especially if it means you'll burn calories without lifting a finger.


Let’s get physical. Never sit when you can stand, or stand still when you can walk. Thanks to desk jobs, family commitments, and a great lineup of must-see TV shows, most of us move less at ages 30, 40, and beyond than we did during our teens and twenties, Berardi says. Regular periods of movement -- whether it’s a trip to the office water cooler or a stroll around the block after lunch -- nudges a sluggish metabolism into gear, lifting your spirits and obliterating excess fat.

Coffee in the morning helps speed up your metabolism,and lemon with your water is also hsupposed to help.And the 5 to 6 small meals every 2 to 3 hours like was previously stated also speeds or keeps it steady.

Good luck!