By There is definitely a lot of ways in which you can increase your metabolic rate. Thankfully you have the option of using both exercise and nutrition to give yourself the best chance of making your metabolism effective. One thing to note is that having a super-fast metabolism does, in fact, decrease your lifespan. What we want to do is manipulate our metabolism so that it becomes more efficient at burning calories. You can read more about this here, or check out the findings of Dr Gundry on YouTube for more insights.I have managed to discover, through trial and error, what’s most effective for me, but we should all experience the same results by following these basic principles. Let’s look into it more deeply.
Five simple and super effective ways to increase your metabolism
- Eating protein with every meal will supercharge your metabolism. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It’s caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meal. Protein causes the largest rise in TEF. It increases your metabolic rate by 15–30%, compared to 5–10% for carbs and 0–3% for fats. Eating protein has also been shown to help you feel more full and prevent you from overeating. Overeating or snacking can be a huge detriment to your fat loss goals. This was always my challenge, and protein was one of the key factors that helped me stop the need to keep turning to fuel to keep pushing through those afternoon slumps.
- Lifting weights. lifting weights is one of the best forms of exercise which helps you to burn calories while working out, as well as when at rest. When we lift heavy weights, our bodies being the cycle of building muscle mass, and will constantly need to be a challenge In order to build on that. As we keep lifting heavier weights, our muscle will tear, and then repair again. This process in itself helps to increase your metabolism, and muscle will always need calories to repair and grow. Whether you are a male or female, it’s in your very best interest to develop some muscle mass to keep your metabolism on fire and protect your bones and joints well into old age. Lifting weights 3–4 times a week is sufficient, and if you keep increasing your weight and altering your exercise, you will be on the right path to changing your body shape.
- Be active during the day. We get to a point in our day were sitting on a desk chair can decrease our fat-burning potential. You don’t need to do too much, but be aware of the time you’ve spent sitting down, and make the effort to get up more often. If you can move around more, perhaps walking to and from work, in your lunch break or take an afternoon walk, you will start the metabolism furnace again. This is such an easy way to increase your rate of caloric burn, without stressing the body. These days, we spend so many hours sitting in front of the tv, our computer screen or the phone. Get outdoors instead, listen to music and walk. I can’t recommend walking enough – especially if you are tired, stressed or worn out. There is something about getting outdoors and breathing in the fresh air that changes your mood and outlook completely. You could say that being that little bit more active will change your mindset into a more productive and empowering one.
- Drink coffee. Oh, how I love coffee! It’s my most favourite pre-workout. A shot of black coffee in the morning, before a workout, is awesome. You get a metabolic boost, and also an energetic one. It seems that coffee effects leaner individuals more than obese. In one study, coffee increased fat burning by 29% for lean women, but only 10% for obese women. Add a few cups a day to your daily routine. If you don’t like coffee, why not drink green tea instead?
- Getting good quality sleep regularly. Lack of sleep has also been linked to increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, which are both linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Sleep deprivation can also lead us into making poor food choices because our energy levels are so low. We tend to go for those quick fixes of fried foods, chocolate or pastries. Eating these gives us a small shot of energy and then we come crashing down. If you experience this, it’s essential to become vigilant and stop yourself before it gets out of hand. I know I’m always sleep-deprived, and that can sometimes cause me to eat more than I need to. I always increase my awareness of this by stepping away for about 20 minutes and then seeing if I am still hungry. If not, I walk away until it’s time again. There is no harm in stopping and continuing to eat more later on. Make sleep a higher priority as much as you can, because you will become alert and more receptive.
Some of these may be easier to follow than others, but it’s always good to have a small list of goals that you can aim for. Nutrition is basically the key to weight loss and if you can work towards that as your main priority, work your way down the list of importance and you will soon experience huge results. Eating protein-rich food and lifting weights has always been effective for me. Try it out and see how you go. Good luck with your metabolic booster plan. I hope you found this article helpful, and I would love you to upvote it if you did. Please also join me on my various social platforms and do go ahead and download your Empowering habit changer guide. I’m also on Instagram.