Many struggling dieters know only too well that a damaged metabolism inevitably leads to greater difficulty in losing weight and makes long term weight management virtually 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 also known as being Insulin Resistant.

Answer the ten questions following and score 1 point for every positive answer you give:

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

2. Do you crave sugar or candy and do you get a sugar-rush followed by a downswing in mood?3. Do you feel tired, headachy or anxious during the day? Do these feelings go away after a meal?
4. Do you find it difficult to stop eating once you start?
5. Do you crave bread and eat more than one or two slices at a time?
6. Are you weary 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 female) or 0.9 (if you are a man)? 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 total is 7 or over, then it is very likely that you are a victim of Metabolic Syndrome, your metabolism is seriously compromised and you are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. You need to address this problem straight away and would benefit from a health check from your doctor.

If you scored 4-6 then your metabolism has suffered significant 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 certainly be to your future advantage.

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

Don’t risk 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, reduce your test score and show you how to lose weight faster than you could have imagined possible.

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