Most people understand that the faster the metabolic rate the faster the weight loss. But how do you boost your metabolism and lose weight? Here’s how!
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Boosting Metabolism and Weight Loss
Most people are aware the speed of their metabolism can help or hinder their ability to lose weight.
Some people who are struggling with obesity even blame a slow metabolism for their present predicament.
However, although slow metabolism can make weight gain easier there is no use making biological functions a scapegoat.
Becoming overweight or obese is always the result of consistent bad dietary practices. If an obese person could control their bad eating habits there would be less need for weight control products or otc Phentermine brands.
If you continually eat too many high-energy foods or simply eat too much in general your body will be faced with a calorie-overload that causes it to save the excess energy as fat.
The fact that you are reading this article suggests you want to lose weight.
Speeding up your metabolism can help you achieve this goal faster but please understand there will still be a need to modify the lifestyle choices that have made you overweight in the first place.
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism is the word used to describe the many ongoing chemical processes that keep the human body alive.
Digesting food, repairing cellular damage, breathing, keeping the blood circulating, and even thinking.
All these processes and many more make up the human metabolism.
All of these processes require energy. The minimum amount of energy your body requires to do these things is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR). It accounts for 40-70% of the body’s daily energy requirements.
A slow metabolism could be better termed as a slow BMR.
Exercise increases metabolism. Any physical activity does. Even fidgeting. Other things, including certain plant compounds, can increase metabolism as well.
When people try to increase their metabolism to lose weight, they are hoping to raise their BMR sufficiently to burn more calories while at rest.
A faster metabolism also makes it possible to burn extra calories during exercise.
If you still believe you are overweight because your metabolism is slow, here’s a wake-up call. Being overweight actually speeds up metabolism.
This is because the extra bulk causes the body to require more energy to keep things ticking over.
5 Easy Ways to Boost Metabolism and Lose Weight
1. Exercise!
Exercise is such an obvious option it has to go at the top of the list. Apart from helping you to lose weight, becoming more active can improve physical fitness, boost immune function, and help you to live longer. [1]
You don’t have to hit the gym or become a running enthusiast to reap the benefits of exercise, though both are excellent options.
If your diet is right, walking to the store instead of taking the bus will speed your metabolism and help you lose more weight.
So will using the stairs instead of taking the elevator. All activity is good. The harder you work your body, the greater the benefits will be.
One word of warning though. If you are very overweight or are unused to being physically active, take it easy at first.
If you have or think you may have any health issues, take the precaution of speaking to a doctor first and sharing your intentions. There is no substitute for tailored expert advice.
2. Eat More Lean Protein
The food you eat needs to be digested. The digestive process uses energy. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF).
Some nutrients, such as fat and simple sugars, are very easy to digest. Others have a greater TEF and protein is the nutrient that causes the largest TEF of all.
It can boost your metabolism by 15-30% and may do so for several hours. At the other end of the scale, fat has a TEF of 3% or less. [2]
Protein is a very important food group. There are both vegan and animal based protein food sources.
Protein also helps you to lose weight by keeping your stomach fuller for longer.
3. Drink Cold Water
Water is doesn’t provide any calories so it’s one of the most diet-friendly drink options you can choose and it can speed up your metabolism as well.
The data from one study shows drinking 500 ml of water produced a 30% increase in metabolism within just 10 minutes.
The researchers believe 40% of the thermic effect was due to the body’s need to expend energy to bring the temperature of the water up to body temperature. [3]
So, if you want to speed up your metabolism by drinking water, you will probably lose more weight if you choose cold or iced water.
4. Get More Sleep
Several studies suggest a link between lack of sleep and obesity. There appears to be many reasons why too little sleep can result in too much belly fat.
Research shows one thing sleep deprivation does is slow metabolism.
Insufficient sleep also appears to increase ghrelin.
Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. The more ghrelin you have, the hungrier you feel.
So, as well as making your metabolism slower, lack of sleep can cause you to want to eat more. That’s a terrible combination when you are earnestly trying to lose weight.
5. Take Advantage of Natural Metabolism Boosters
Certain plants provide compounds that boost metabolism. Green tea, green coffee beans, and capsicum are three good examples but there are many more.
For obvious reasons, extracts taken from such sources are key ingredients in many of the best fat-burning supplements.
Research shows the catechin polyphenols green tea provides can increase metabolism and fat oxidation for up to 24 hours.
The caffeine coffee beans provide is also an excellent metabolism booster and it increases energy levels as well.
The capsaicin in capsicum peppers also provides double the power as a weight-loss food. As well as boosting metabolism, it suppresses hunger.
Drinking black, or green tea a few times a day is an easy way to boost metabolism and lose weight.
However, it’s best to add nothing but water. Anything that adds sugar or color will only provide extra calories you do not need.
Capsicum is a great addition to a salad and, with a little imagination, there are many ways you can incorporate this spicy metabolism booster into your life.
How to Boost Metabolism and Lose Weight – The Bottom Line
There are several things you can do to boost your metabolism and lose weight.
Unless you have health issues that prevent it, getting more exercise should be the first step but it’s important to make sensible food choices and track your calorie intake too.
It doesn’t matter how fast your metabolism becomes, it will always be easier to put extra energy into the body than it is to burn energy and lose weight.
If you are serious about losing weight, instead of looking for an excuse to forsake your diet, making a few tweaks to your lifestyle can make a big difference to your metabolism and your waistline as well.
Exercise more, eat extra protein, make wise drink choices, take advantage of natural metabolism boosters, and watch the pounds disappear.
