7 ways to boost your metabolism for speedy weight loss
On the weight gain and weight loss question, a simplification of the science is that you gain weight when you consume more calories than you burn off. It, therefore, remains true that you lose weight when you burn off more calories than you consume.
Some people have a naturally slow metabolism due to medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and Cushing syndrome. For others, metabolism may stall over time due to several factors including the natural aging process.
Some good news for you is that you can actually make some deliberate and conscious efforts toward increasing or boosting your metabolism. Here is a look at an outline of 7 sure-fire ways that you can boost your metabolism.
1. Eat Breakfast
You no doubt grew up with people around you saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Turns out that it’s actually true, especially so for weight loss and management.
Studies have shown that people who take a healthy breakfast lose more weight than breakfast skippers When you sleep, your metabolism slows down due to inactivity.
A healthy breakfast will get your metabolism right back up by revving up the digestion process and will keep it up through the day.
Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea which are popular go-to for breakfast also have the effect of boosting your metabolism. With a healthy breakfast, you are looking at up to a 10 % increase in your resting metabolism.
2. Eat Small Meals During The Day
According to nutritionists, eating small meals every three to four hours, which essentially translates to 5-6 meals a day, helps in losing weight faster.
This is attributed to a boost in metabolism that is tied in with blood sugar stabilization. After a couple of hours without food, your blood sugar will start to fall. Again, digestion will have been completed. You will become subconsciously inactive and will grab whatever you can to refuel.
Frequent snacking ensures that you keep your blood glucose levels at a normal rate and having something to digest will rev up your metabolism. But keep in mind that in order for this to be beneficial, you have to eat small healthy meals and not junk food.
3. Drink Plenty Of Water
Drinking plenty of water has numerous other benefits when it comes to weight loss and management. One such benefit that has been backed by studies is that water is a mega metabolism booster.
You may love it cold, warm or hot water. Perhaps you prefer a glass of fruit-infused water over a serving of plain water. Whatever your choice, the bottom line remains that water does boost your metabolism.
Of course depending on your goals, if you are trying to cut down your calories it is best to stick with plain water as opposed to fruit juices or sodas since it contains a high amount of sugar. Drinking at least 16 ounces of water every day will get your circulation right throughout the day.
This will help you when trying to lose weight since drinking water can curb your appetite which in term can cut down the number of calories that you consume in a day.
4. Eat More Protein
A high-protein diet will naturally boost your metabolism for the simple reason that a healthy protein intake contributes to the development of muscle mass, which in turn causes an increase in your metabolism.
Muscle mass requires more energy and having more of it will increase your basal metabolic rate since your body will have to burn more calories to supply this energy. The best part is that you are able to burn calories even at rest!
Proteins are high thermic-effect foods and your body will burn more calories in digesting dietary protein than it does any other foods.
Simply put, your metabolism rate increases as your body processes your protein intake. That is why I recommend that you include protein in every meal.
5. Spice Up Your Plate Just Right
Did you know that with the right herbs and spices, you can boost your metabolism by up to 8 percent?
Well, you can and this is definitely some great news especially if you held the misinformed belief that trying to lose weight condemns you to eat bland food and soups.
Thermogenic spices, otherwise known as “warming” spices such as turmeric, cardamom, and cayenne found in chilies help to stimulate the process of thermogenesis in your body. Thermogenesis increases body temperatures and by so doing increases your overall body metabolism.
A little spice is not only a great way to add some flavor to your food, but it can complement your weight loss efforts by boosting your metabolism. Just be careful not to overdo it.
6. Incorporate Strength Training In Your Workout
As highlighted earlier, a healthy lean muscle mass will help boost your metabolism. When it comes to exercise and working out, nothing does quite as much for developing and growing muscle mass as strength training. One of the most effective strength training techniques that you can include in your workout plan is weight lifting.
As a matter of fact, exercise physiologists recommend lifting weights as a high-yield exercise technique for beginners as well as persons who regularly exercise but have hit a plateau in their performance due to a stalling metabolism. As for the ladies, do not fear of bulking up when doing strength training. This is a myth and this is something I've talked about in my other blog post.
7. Get Enough Sleep
The quantity and quality of sleep you get every night have a significant impact on your metabolism. As you sleep, your body burns an average of between 50-100 calories per hour. Without enough sleep, your body becomes more insulin-resistant, with a lower metabolism that may contribute to problems such as weight gain.
Studies have also shown that getting enough sleep, and more so in cooler temperatures increases your metabolism by stimulating the activity of healthy fat in your body called brown fat. Brown fat burns more calories, in addition to the fact that it helps in improving the body’s insulin sensitivity.
Whether this is proven or not, keep in mind that it is important to always get a good amount of sleep for overall health and in boosting your metabolism.
Conclusion
It is often too easy to overlook just how crucial the seemingly little things such as drinking water and sleeping enough are in boosting your metabolism. As accurately highlighted, and going by the scientific backing to each of these techniques, you do have control over your metabolism.
Reports from studies have revealed the effectiveness of these techniques which should only serve to impart the confidence to take up the challenge and rev up your own metabolism today.
I hope you found this article helpful and if you did please share this with anyone who will benefit from this.
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