Increase Your Metabolism to Lose Weight

Increase Your Metabolism to Lose Weight

Have you ever felt sluggish or weak energy? Have you ever wondered why your friend can apparently eat whatever she wants without gaining weight?

Have you ever wondered if there was a way to burn more calories even while relaxing?

The answer to these questions may lie in your metabolism.

What is metabolism?

At its core, metabolism is the sum of the physical and chemical reactions in the body that support life and maintain vital activities.

Even at rest, your body performs metabolic functions to stay alive. The faster your body performs these activities, the more calories you burn per day. This is also sometimes called your basal metabolic rate.

A higher metabolism means you have more energy and can help you lose and keep it off.

Several factors determine metabolism, including age, gender and genetics. However, there are ways to speed up your metabolism and keep it high.

Here are 12 tips to boost your metabolism.

12 tips to boost metabolism

1. Drink lots of water

Research suggests that drinking water can temporarily boost your metabolism.

Studies have shown that drinking 500 ml (about two cups) of water can increase metabolism by up to 30% and that this increase lasts for about 1 hour. Researchers have estimated that increasing your water intake by 1.5 liters more than what you normally drink can burn about 50 calories a day.

Drinking lots of water can also increase the feeling of fullness, which means you will feel full for longer. One study found that people who consumed two glasses of water half an hour before a meal consumed fewer calories during a meal.

2. Eat more protein

While it may seem counterintuitive, eating increases your metabolism for a few hours after meals. This increase in energy consumption that occurs while eating is known as the thermal effect of food (TEF). TEF is the energy or calories needed to digest, absorb and metabolize nutrients. For most people, TEF is responsible for burning about 10% of daily calories.

However, not all foods contribute equally to TEF. Proteins increase metabolism by 15-30%. This is compared to 5-10% for carbohydrates and 0-3% for fats.

Protein can also reduce appetite and help you feel full after eating. One study found that participants who ate a 30% protein diet felt more satiated and consumed 441 calories less per day, on average, compared to a 15% protein diet.

3. Try a HIIT workout

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that consists of alternating between peaks of intense activity followed by periods of less intense recovery.

Studies have shown that HIIT increases metabolism for a few hours after exercise. This means that doing a HIIT workout can help you burn many calories even after exercising.

A study of 20 active women found that HIIT increased the participant's post-exercise metabolism more than jogging and weight training.

In addition, research has shown that HIIT can also help you lose weight. One study found that participants who practiced 20-minute HIIT training three times a week had an average weight loss of 4.4 pounds of body fat in 12 weeks. It was without making dietary changes.

4. Do more weight training

Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, which means that more calories are needed to maintain muscle mass.

Therefore, strength training can increase metabolism by building muscle. A small study examining the impact of strength training on metabolism found that the participant's resting metabolic rate increased by 7% after 24 weeks of strength training.

Additional research has shown that strength training can raise the resting metabolic rate by 5 to 9% for up to 3 days after strength training.

Strength training also stimulates the renewal of proteins and amino acids in the muscles. After weight training, the body uses energy to help repair and rebuild muscles and other body tissue. Studies have shown that this increased energy expenditure required for muscle shaping.

5. Increase your NEAT

As discussed earlier, there are several ways to increase your metabolism through exercise. However, you can also boost your metabolism through non-physical activities.

Non-physical activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is defined as the energy or calories you burn when doing normal daily activities. Examples of NEAT include movement involved in grocery shopping, house cleaning, gardening, and taking stairs.

Studies have shown that increased NEAT energy expenditure is associated with higher resting metabolic rates that can help lose weight. Higher levels of NEAT are also associated with a lower risk of certain illnesses, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Unfortunately, Americans spend more time in sedentary activities than previous generations. This means fewer calories burned by NEAT. Here are examples of ways to increase your NEAT: take the stairs, stay up longer throughout the day, take short breaks to get to work and run errands.

6. Sleep more

Sleep deprivation can cause a slow metabolism. Unfortunately, many people are struggling to get the restorative closure they need. According to the CDC, a third of adults in the United States report that they generally sleep less than what is recommended. Current medical advice is 7 hours or more of sleep per night for adults 18 to 60.

Research has revealed that a lack of sleep can lower your resting metabolic rate. One study found that men and women who slept 4 hours a night for 5 nights had a 2.6% decrease in their resting metabolism, which returned to baseline after recovery sleep.

Lack of sleep has also been linked to increased appetite and weight gain. This is likely due to the impact of sleep on two hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone released by the stomach and signals hunger to the brain. On the other hand, leptin is a hormone released by the fat cells in the body that signals satiety or satiety and can help lose weight.

A large study of 1,024 participants found that those who normally slept 5 hours a night had 14.9% higher ghrelin levels and 15.5% lower leptin levels than those who slept 8 hours. Participants who slept less also had higher BMI and body weight.

7. Give yourself time to relax

Prolonged periods of stress and anxiety can have a negative impact on weight and metabolism. This is due, in part, to the continuous production of cortisol.

Cortisol is a stress hormone produced as part of the fight or flight. However, when cortisol levels remain elevated for too long, it can slow metabolism and lead to weight gain.

One study found that participants who experienced a stressful event burned 104 calories less in a day compared to those who did not experience a stressful event.

High cortisol levels have also been linked to weight gain. This occurs mainly due to cortisol-induced changes in the body's metabolism that encourage the storage of fatty acids. In particular, high cortisol levels have been linked to an increase in visceral or abdominal fat.

8. Have a spicy meal

Capsaicin is a compound found in peppers that gives them their signature spiciness. A systematic review in 2012 found that consuming capsaicin can increase energy expenditure by up to 50 calories per day.

Studies also indicate that spicy foods can help decrease appetite and increase fat burning, potentially contributing to weight loss. However, a caveat is that many people may not be able to tolerate capsaicin at the levels needed for significant benefits.

A study examining the effect of capsaicin on metabolic activity found that capsaicin at an acceptable level of spices burns about 10 extra calories per meal. This alone can have a modest impact on energy expenditure. However, incorporating spicy foods into the diet can contribute to overall weight improvement when combined with other strategies on this list

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9. Drinking coffee

This cup of morning Joe can help you burn more calories. Studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee can increase your resting metabolic rate by 3 to 11%. The caffeine in coffee can also promote weight loss by stimulating the nervous system, which signals to fat cells to break down fat.

Caffeine has also been shown to reduce fatigue and increase physical performance. Studies have shown that caffeine consumption can improve average physical performance by 11 to 12%. This increase in performance can amount to more calories burned and can help you maintain a healthy weight.

10. Sip green tea

Green tea contains beneficial compounds, including catechins and caffeine, which can boost metabolism and help lose weight. Additionally, unsweetened green tea is a healthy alternative to sugary drinks that can add many calories to the diet.

Similar to coffee, green tea contains caffeine which has been shown to help burn fat and increase physical performance.

Green tea also contains the antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is believed to increase metabolism. Studies have shown that taking green tea extract or EGCG can increase your resting metabolism by around 3-4%.

However, it is important to note that not all studies agree on the benefits of green tea extract. Additional research is still needed to determine the full impact of green tea extract on weight loss.

11. Avoid accident plans

Accident diets can have a negative impact on metabolism and weight. An accelerated diet is any type of diet that involves eating too few calories during the day to meet energy needs. This is generally defined as less than 1,200 calories for women and 1,800 calories for men.

When you consume too little energy, your body responds by entering a type of "starvation mode".

It is an adaptive response that has helped our species survive in times of famine. Starvation mode slows metabolism to help conserve energy. Consequently, consuming too few calories to lose weight can quickly backfire and even make you gain weight.

Accident diets can also lead to loss of muscle mass when the body turns to protein as a source of calories. This can further decrease the metabolism.

12. Don't be afraid to snack

Eating a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours can help you lose weight and burn more calories. This is due to the thermal effect of food (TEF), as previously explained in the "eat more protein" section. TEF is the amount of energy needed to carry out the chemical reactions involved in the digestion, absorption and utilization of nutrients in food.

Several studies have shown that snacking can help reduce hunger and appetite. This may be due to a reduction in the hunger hormones that accumulate when you spend several hours between meals.