Metabolism refers to the rate at which your body converts calories into energy. Many people inherit a fast metabolism, whereby their bodies burn calories faster, helping them keep off those unwanted pounds. Others, who are not so lucky, blame their slow metabolism for struggling to shed weight. The speed of a person’s metabolism, or metabolic rate, largely depends upon several factors, including age, gender, genes, and muscle mass.
While you may not have any control over the genetic aspects that determine your metabolism, there are several viable to accelerate the rate at which your body processes calories. They are as follows:
Train Hard
Studies show that those with more muscle mass have a higher resting metabolic rate (RMR), where the body is constantly burning calories even when it is at complete rest. Resistance training like lifting heavy weights will help your muscles burn more calories each day, leading to weight loss.
You can even step up your workouts by incorporating aerobic exercises into your exercise routine. The higher your activity levels, the more calories you burn, which further boosts your metabolism.
Eat Small Meals More Often
Eating large meals without eating anything for long hours slows down your metabolism between meals. However, eating small, frequent meals every 3 to 4 hours apart helps keep your metabolism cranking. Accordingly, you burn more calories over a day, and that results in weight loss.
Eat Enough Calories
It is vital not to skip meals as a way to cut down on calories and lose weight. Going hungry by eating less puts your body into survival mode. That causes your metabolism to slow down to allow the body to conserve energy, making it harder to lose weight or perhaps leading to weight gain.
Power Up With Proteins
A higher protein intake is associated with a faster metabolism, as the body burns more calories while digesting protein than eating carbohydrates and fat. Not only will your body be burning calories around the clock and while sleeping, but a protein-rich diet will keep you full for long periods, preventing you from overeating.
With that said, a big part of consuming a healthy diet involves eating the right balance of carbs, proteins, and fats. Learning how to track your metabolism will enable you to customize your diet based on your body’s requirements. That will lead you to achieve your desired goals much faster and more effectively.
Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water is key to living a healthy life and one of the easiest ways to boost your metabolism. Evidence suggests that water speeds up your metabolic rate for up to an hour after you drink it. Accordingly, consuming 8-10 glasses of water daily will prevent your metabolism from slowing down and keep it functional at optimal performance throughout the day.
Spice Up Your Meals
Spicy foods contain capsaicin, a substance in chili peppers, which can cause an uptick in your metabolism. While the effect is temporary and minimal, cooking meals with a tablespoon of red or green chili peppers can provide a quick boost to your metabolism by up to 8%. However, the effects may add up significantly when you consume spicy foods more often and combine them with other more potent metabolism-boosting strategies.
Stepping on the scale is one of the most dreaded moments a weight watcher experiences. Fortunately, some small lifestyle and dietary changes can give your metabolism a boost and contribute to weight loss, making your fitness dreams come true.
