Home  >  Ask the Expert Do you have a question for our experts? You may post a question to our forum. Most questions will be answered with a day or two. Please ask only 1 question per week. You will now be sent to our registration screen. The registration process takes only a minute. New Members: Register Now Existing Members: Go to forum Q. I have a really slow metabolism and I was wondering besides exercise, is there anything I can do to speed it up, or should I go and see my doctor. I have tried to lose weight many times and have failed what else can I do? A.Always look before you leap! Exercise is the best way to ncrease your resting metabolic rate. Specifically strength training. Strength training will increase your muscle mass. Increasing your muscle mass will increase the amount of calories you burn while you are resting. Imagine putting in three days a week at the gym, pumping iron, and over time, notice that you are burning more calories while you are watching T.V.!  If you add an aerobic component to your exercise plan, you can increase the amount of calories you burn and increase the success of your weight loss program. While these above examples of exercise and weight loss are scientifically valid, we can't leave out the most important part of the picture. Namely, a personal nutritional plan. Having a personal nutritional plan designed specifically for you, can help you avoid the "guessing" game that occurs with nutrition, and greatly increase your chance of weight loss success! Imagine having a nutritionist specifically design a nutritional plan based on your likes, dislikes, health and diet history, medications, current state of health, height, weight, age, and sex, and that's just to name a few. The result is a tailored plan, incorporating the best macronutrient percentage (amounts of protein, carbohydrate and fat) for your body type, within a set calorie structure. And the best part is that all of the "counting" is done for you. You will never have to count calories, or try to figure out percents of food groups. All of this work is done, and easy instructions show you how to reach your goals. Add the aforementioned exercise program to such a diet plan, and you are on the right road to a slimmer, trimmer you! From a medical perspective, there are some endocrine disorders that can result in the inability to lose weight. Hypothyroidism is one such condition, and must be addressed by an endocrinologist. Please talk to your doctor to rule out any possible health association. Good Luck! Robert L. Pastore, Ph.D., CNC, CN Senior Nutritionist at Metabolism.com Previous Q&A's: How can I boost my metabolism? I have high metabolism? Is there anything I can do to gain weight? Do I have an appetite problem or a metabolism problem? Have you heard of the drug Adipex? Can you explain the different types of vegetarians? Is there an association between dieting attempts and major weight gain? How does L-Carnitine work to speed weight loss?
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