Trick your METABOLISM

Forget blaming your weight on a slow metabolic rate – take back control and give it a boost

- 

When we struggle to lose weight, despite cutting the worst offenders out of our diet, we might self-diagnose a 'slow metabolism' as the cause. And we all think we know someone with a naturally fast metabolism, who can eat what they want and never gain a pound. The 'M' word is thrown around a lot these days - but what is it, and can you really speed it up? Our experts have the low-down.

How it works

Simply put, metabolism is the rate at which your body breaks down the nutrients in food to produce energy. This powers everything, from organ function and breathing to cell repair and food digestion. The faster you convert calories to energy, the higher your metabolism - in some cases, this makes keeping off extra weight easier. The bad news is that due to more people leading sedentary lifestyles, we're on the verge of a global metabolic health crisis, according to Mohit Kumar, co-founder of fitness platform ultrahuman.com. 'The vast majority of chronic diseases that are caused by poor metabolic health - including type 2 diabetes and heart disease - are linked to our lifestyle choices, rather than our genes,' he says. This does mean that you can help yourself.

FACT OR FICTION?

Think you know how your metabolism works? Think again.

Myth: You’re overweight because your metabolism is too slow.