Today, I want to cover the five worst diet mistakes, especially when trying to boost metabolism.

The top mistakes dieters make:

1. Trying to boost metabolism

A slow metabolism is not really a slow metabolism at all—it’s an efficient metabolism. Stimulating your metabolism is a bad idea because you’ll burn it out.

2. Going on a low-calorie diet

Many people who appear to have a slow metabolism have a history of going on low-calorie diets.

3. Stoking the metabolic flame

People do this by consuming six small meals throughout the day. But eating frequently doesn’t speed up your metabolism. Every time you eat, you stimulate insulin. Even in small amounts, insulin can prevent you from burning fat.

4. Overtraining

Fat burning occurs in the recovery phase. Overtraining doesn’t allow your body to recover.

5. Consuming processed protein shakes

Protein stimulates three of the fat-burning hormones. But, the quality of the protein is crucial. Many protein shakes are refined and are of poor quality. The protein powders are also typically very high on the insulin index scale. Try consuming high-quality animal protein instead.

Remember, it’s not "lose weight to get healthy." It’s "get healthy to lose weight." Switching to using fat as your fuel instead of glucose and converting your body into a state of ketosis will help you lose weight.

You’ll know you’re in ketosis when you can do intermittent fasting and your appetite and cravings disappear.

To burn fat as fuel, you must consume moderate amounts of high-quality protein and avoid high-carb foods. High-intensity interval training with a lot of recovery will also help you burn fat. On top of that, you need to keep your stress low and get plenty of sleep when trying to lose weight.