The first thing a person who has been diagnosed with thyroid told is that the metabolism rate is slow. The food processing part of your metabolism known as thermogenesis stays pretty much the same rate through your adult life. As you age and your level of physical activity lessens, so does your muscle mass. This decrease in muscle mass is accompanied by the tendency for your body to hold additional fat. This result in a decrease of (Basal Metabolic Rate) BMR which eventually leads to fewer calories burnt on a daily basis. This phenomenon is very common in older, less active individuals and those diagnosed with Thyroid.
Here are a few tips to boost your BMR:
Wake and walk early
Yes ! Time and again we are told to wake up early and take an early morning walk. This gives you the early morning much needed energy to go through the day. If you are not the person who exercises much these few minutes of high power walking is needed to speed up your metabolism. Breathing exercises also help a great deal to fill your lungs with the much needed energy and O2.
Avoid fancy Diets
As they say one thing leads to another it is best to avoid going on a very-low-calorie diet and starvation diets. When your body senses any extreme or sudden drop in calories, your resting metabolic rate automatically slow down, because your body now assumes that you’re starving, and your body starts storing excess calorie as fat.
Don’t Eat Late at Night
Do not skip breakfast and overeat during dinner; snacking after dinner also becomes a very bad habit. Eat a hearty breakfast, and decrease your food intake as the day goes by and have frequent meals , i.e small eats across the day and rule of thumb is stop eating at least 2 hours before going to bed which means you have to sleep early.
Improve Muscle Mass
It is vital to combat low metabolism through being active not only with cardio activities but with weight training as well. If you are busy at home or at the office take time out to strengthen your arms and back muscles. The focus should be on maintaining your muscle mass and preventing it from decreasing.
Regular thyroid maintenance
Ensure that you get your periodical thyroid tests T3 T4 and TSH done regularly. Apart from taking the prescribed medication it is necessary to supplement your daily diet with selenium, zinc, copper and iodine. The thyroid hormone (Triiodothyronine or T3) regulates our metabolic rate and is associated with changes in our body weight and energy levels.