The SEFP Blog

Many struggling dieters realise only too well that a damaged metabolism surely leads to greater difficulty in losing weight and makes long term weight management practically impossible. Looking for advice on how to speed up metabolism is all very well but how can you tell if your metabolism really is damaged or whether you are just kidding yourself that you are sticking to your diet religiously?

By answering the following questions, you should be able to obtain a fairly accurate picture of how likely you are to be suffering from Metabolic Syndrome, which is sometimes known as being Insulin Resistant.

Take a look at the ten questions following and score 1 point for every ‘yes’ answer you give:

1. Do you find it difficult to shift any weight when eating a low-fat diet?

2. Do you crave sugar or sweet foods and do you feel a sugar-rush followed by a dip in mood?3. Do you feel tired, headachy or anxious during the day? Do these feelings subside following a meal?
4. Do you find it difficult to stop eating once you start?
5. Do you crave bread and consume more than one or two slices at a time?
6. Are you worn out all the time?
7. Are you thirsty all the time?
8. Are you often moody, irritable or anxious?
9. Do you have a family history of alcoholism, diabetes or hypoglycaemia?
10. Is your waist to hip ratio larger than 0.8 (if you are a woman) or 0.9 (if you are male)? To work this out, measure round your waist at belly button level (in inches), measure round the widest part of your hips and divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

If your score is 7 or over, then it is highly possible that you are suffering from Metabolic Syndrome, your metabolism is severely compromised and you are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. You need to sort out this problem swiftly and would benefit from a visit to your doctor.

If you scored 4-6 then your metabolism has suffered some damage and this needs to be repaired if you are not to go on to more serious metabolic problems. Incorporating as many metabolism boosting tips into your diet and lifestyle as you can will definitely be to your long-term advantage.

If you scored 0-3 then your metabolism is just a little damaged around the edges and can easily be brought into peak condition by making just a few adjustments to your diet and lifestyle.

Don’t gamble your health by turning a blind eye to the warning signs – you have taken the first step by looking for advice on how to speed up metabolism, now follow it through and take the action that will repair your metabolism, bring down your test score and show you how to lose weight faster than you could have imagined possible.

Don’t put it off – do it now before your risk of suffering Metabolic Syndrome increases!