Stubborn weight and low energy: Nutritionist reveals the diet habits wrecking your metabolism

Stubborn weight and low energy: Nutritionist reveals the diet habits wrecking your metabolism

Struggling with weight that won't shift and constant tiredness? An expert reveals the common, everyday eating patterns that could be secretly slowing your metabolism and forcing your body to store fat.

Many people battle stubborn weight gain and low energy, often blaming themselves when the scales refuse to budge.

However, the issue might lie in simple, everyday diet habits that are quietly disrupting our metabolic health. This is part of a growing global concern, with an estimated 1.54 billion adults worldwide having metabolic syndrome in 2023, a cluster of conditions that increases the risk of serious health issues.

The conversation is now shifting away from just counting calories to understanding how and when we eat.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Zoha Shaikh, a consultant nutritionist at Nutriiya, revealed everyday diet patterns that may be disrupting your metabolism by putting the body into a protective "survival mode".

The morning routine mistake

One of the most common culprits, according to Shaikh, is the modern morning routine. Surviving just on tea in the morning, or waiting three to four hours after waking to eat, sends a powerful and negative signal to your body. Skipping breakfast altogether can shift the body into a protective, energy-saving mode, where it clings to reserves instead of burning them.

This forces your body to conserve energy rather than use it efficiently. "Aim to eat within one hour of waking up," Zoya suggests, emphasising that you should not replace a proper breakfast with just tea and coffee alone. This advice aligns with emerging health trends like "metabolic eating", which focuses on eating in sync with the body's natural circadian rhythms to support long-term metabolic health, rather than just focusing on short-term weight loss.

The missing piece on your plate

Another significant issue lies in what is missing from our meals. A typical Indian plate, which might comprise chapati, vegetables, and rice, often lacks an adequate source of protein.

This is a critical oversight, as protein has a higher thermic effect of food (TEF) compared to carbohydrates or fats. This means your body burns more calories simply to digest and process it. A low protein intake reduces this effect, causing a gradual slowing down of your metabolism over time.

According to Zoya, it is vital to "add protein like dal, paneer, curd, tofu or eggs to every meal". This advice is particularly relevant today, as new diet trends influenced by the effects of weight-loss medications also emphasise higher protein intake to maintain muscle mass and support metabolic function. Ensuring every meal is balanced with a good protein source is a simple yet powerful way to keep your metabolic engine running smoothly.

The hidden danger in snacking

It is not just main meals that matter; what you eat between them can have a profound impact. Frequent or regular intake of biscuits, sweets, savoury processed foods, or even tea loaded with sugar can wreak havoc on your metabolism. These foods cause a sudden spike in blood sugar, which is inevitably followed by a sharp crash.

This "spike and crash" mechanism negatively impacts fat metabolism, encouraging your body to store fat instead of burning it. This is supported by recent scientific findings, including a report in Nature Metabolism which highlighted that certain sugars can act as a metabolic signal that directly promotes fat storage. To avoid this trap, Zoya recommends healthier snacking options.

She suggests reaching for nuts, seeds, a small portion of fruit, or roasted chana and makhana to provide sustained energy without the metabolic disruption.

By addressing these common dietary patterns-starting the day with a balanced meal, ensuring adequate protein, and choosing snacks wisely-you can help steer your body out of survival mode and towards a more efficient, healthier metabolism.