A lot of people blame their slow-running metabolism for their inability to get rid of those excess pounds with minimal effort and also in no time. Well, they are right for doing so — having a sluggish metabolic rate can in fact make the body burn excess calories and fat less efficiently.

If you’re someone who tends to scour the internet for some weight-loss tips and tricks, perhaps time and again you have come across articles telling you to quit doing fad diets because considerably lowering your daily intake of calories can make your metabolism run at a much slower pace.

Similarly, you may have already run into several different articles telling you the sheer importance of exercising on a regular basis in order to lose weight — exercise can cause the metabolism to accelerate.

Did you know that there are so many other things that can cause a slow metabolic rate aside from going on a fad diet or refusal to pay the gym a visit regularly?

If you like to learn about some of the reasons for a slow-moving metabolism that not too many people know about, keep on reading — below you will come across some of the hidden causes of a slow metabolism. Don’t forget to repost this article later on after checking it out so that your figure-conscious family members and friends may also learn that their metabolism can also be slowed down due to:

Dehydration

So many processes taking place within your body require water in order for them to run like well-oiled machines. One of those internal processes that call for the presence of sufficient water molecules is your metabolism.

Needless to say, being dehydrated can keep you from having the figure of your dreams due to a sluggish metabolism. To keep it running efficiently, remember to drink around 2 liters of O2 per day. Drink more if you are losing more water via perspiration due to working out or the sweltering weather.

Sleep Deprivation

Are you fond of staying up all night long? Then don’t be surprised if it seems like losing those unwanted body pounds seems an impossible feat. According to fitness authorities, being deprived of sleep can in fact leave your metabolism running at a much slower pace.

There are a couple of reasons for this. First, failure to get 7 to 9 hours of high quality sleep can cause stress hormones to flood your bloodstream — stressed individuals tend to gain weight for so many reasons, and that includes a slowed down metabolic rate. Second, it can cause increased blood sugar levels (kindly check out the next entry).

High Blood Sugar

One of the many different complications of diabetes is obesity, and such can be blamed on having high levels of sugar in the blood. That’s because it is something that can considerably slow down the metabolism due to the fact that the cells are deprived of energy — everything stays in the bloodstream as glucose.

Congratulations if you do not have diabetes. But this does not mean that you may opt for sugary treats as your heart pleases — this can still cause your blood sugar to increase and this can leave you with a sluggish metabolism.

Medical Conditions

In some instances, it is a medical condition that can be blamed for a metabolic rate that’s not running at an optimum pace. Some examples of those that can slow down the metabolism are hypothyroidism and various forms of hormonal imbalances, such as being low in estrogen or testosterone.

Seeking the help of a doctor, needless to say, is what has to be done if you suspect that your metabolism that refuses to cooperate can be blamed on a medical condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated.