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For some people, eating right and exercising are not leading to enough weight loss. As hard as people might work, one of the key ways to lose weight is to speed up your metabolism. Even though there are different ways people can boost their metabolism, oftentimes it is the people's habits are the cause of a slow metabolism.

Here are 7 behaviors that hurt your metabolism:

1. Dehydration

If you are working out and eating nutritiously but forget to drink water, your metabolism will not speed up. The body, which is made mostly of water, needs to be hydrated. When it is not, the body does not burn calories as effectively.

2. Low Vitamin D Levels

When the body is low in vitamin D, which can be sourced from direct sunlight, it makes weight loss slower. On top of this, low vitamin D levels lead to low levels of a hormone called ghrelin, which can make you feel hungry.

3. Too Much Cardio

Even though cardio and other aerobic exercises, such as indoor cycling, is very heart healthy, doing only these types of exercises will not speed up your metabolism. By incorporating strength training, which helps build lean muscle, the body's metabolism will speed up.

4. Midnight Snacking

People who like to snack late at night could be messing up their metabolism. Although it is important to eat regularly throughout the day to prevent your metabolism from slowing down, eating at night can slow down metabolism.

5. No Caffeine

Drinking caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, can help speed up metabolism. Several studies have found that when people drink coffee prior to a workout, their metabolism speeds up significantly.

6. Sleep-Deprived

Sleeping is vital for overall health. When you lose sleep, it can negatively affect your metabolism. A sleep-deprived mind is more likely to have food cravings, which can lead to overeating.

7. Stress

If you have chronically elevated stress levels, your metabolism can be negatively affected. When stress levels increase, the body produces the stress hormone, cortisol, which can turn the body into a fat-storage mode.

The next time you want to lose a few pounds, consider changing up your habits in order to optimize your workout.