We would all like our metabolisms to be just that little bit faster. We would like to burn off that secret mince pie we just ate as quickly as the speed of light, lose the Christmas pounds quicker and have our summer bodies’ ready at the click of a finger. However, everyone’s metabolisms work at different paces some of us gain weight by just looking at cake whilst others can stuff their faces until their hearts are content without gaining a pound.
- Eat breakfast
Most people assume that cutting out breakfast will help them lose weight; however, they don’t say breakfast is the most important meal of the day for nothing! Did you know that breakfast eaters lose more weight than those who skip it?! Yes that’s right eating breakfast helps you lose weight as your metabolism slows down during the night and food helps kick start it back up in the morning. Bypassing breakfast means your metabolism won’t properly start burning calories until lunchtime.
- Turn up the intensity at the gym
The more active you are the more calories you burn simple as. Adding interval training to your workout is a fantastic metabolism booster as you alternate between performing an exercise at high and low intensity. For instance if you sprint for 30 seconds in your jog on the treadmill then walk for one minute every five minutes, you are doing interval training. Your body works harder as it is a more intense workout and therefor you burn more calories.
- Drink lots more water
No it’s not a myth, drinking more water truly does help boost your metabolism. A recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism highlighted that the participants’ metabolisms increased by 30% just ten minutes after drinking 0.45 litres of water. People who drink water are also more like to lose weight than those who drink fizzy drinks.
- Don’t go crazy on cutting calories out of your life
If you eat fewer calories you lose more weight and keep it off right? Nope that couldn’t be more wrong, as diets in lower calories may help you lose body fat but end up causing a stagnate metabolism. Your body will go into survival mode and will assume you are starving if you drop 1,000 calories from your diet; it will reduce your metabolism speed and won’t burn as many calories. If you then suddenly go back to your previous caloric intake the pounds will pile on.
- Eat lots of protein in your meals
Research shows that eating foods full of protein can boost your metabolism with you burning an extra 150 to 200 calories a day. The phenomenon that happens is called the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), which is the caloric cost of digesting and processing different macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) in your diet. Protein causes the largest rise in TEF as it increases your metabolic rate by 15-30% in comparison to 5-10% for carbs and 0-3% for fats. Protein consists of mainly amino acid, which are more difficult for your body to break down than fats and carbs, thus you burn more calories.
- Eat all day
Eating more meals seems contradictory doesn’t it? However, you are less likely to snack if you have five to six mini meals instead of three larger meals. Your metabolism will also be going all the time thus be constantly burning calories. Eating mini meals will also prevent overeating and sneaking into the kitchen for a cheeky slice of chocolate. Space out the meals every four hours and make sure they are protein filled ones to burn more calories.
- Lift weights
Building muscles can crank up your metabolism speed and means you will burn more calories each day. Muscular people burn more calories as lifting weights helps them retain muscle and keep at bay the drop in metabolism that can happen during weight loss.
- Spice up your diet
Adding a little bit of spice into your life make meals more interesting and also speed up the calorie burning process. Research has shown that adding red chili pepper flakes onto your dishes simulates thermogenesis (the production of heat) and increases your metabolic rate. Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which is the spicy quality that leaves your mouth burning and fires up your metabolism.
- Have a good night’s sleep
Getting enough shut-eye plays a massive role in helping to build your muscles and increasing your metabolism speed. Sleep allows your body to rest and repair itself, and when you are sleep deprived you will be hungrier therefore making you more likely to crave junk food. Those who sleep for over eight hours will have healthier metabolisms, have more energy and will have fewer bad cravings.