How to Boost Metabolism

Metabolism is the rate at which your body metabolizes the foods you eat. If you’re trying to lose weight, speeding up your metabolism can help you lose weight without cutting a lot of calories. While some “metabolism boosters” are effective, the commercial nature of these products makes it difficult to tell if they’re actually working or just advertised. This article will show you how to boost your metabolism.

Table of Contents

Boost metabolism through diet

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Divide meals into several small meals throughout the day. The long time between meals puts the body into “starvation mode”, causing the metabolic rate to slow down to conserve energy and prevent hunger. While some people can lose weight through intermittent fasting, most will tend to eat less when eating in small, regular meals. In addition to eating four to six small meals a day, eating healthy snacks also boosts metabolism. ^{[1] X Research Source}

You should bring perishable snacks with you. In situations that arise such as having to stay at work overtime, if you don’t prepare food in advance and go hungry, you will end up eating what you shouldn’t and your weight loss plan will no longer work.

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Choose lean protein. A diet rich in lean protein will help increase metabolism because the body needs more energy to digest protein. Choose lean proteins like turkey, fish, eggs, beans, and tofu. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Cheese is a source of casein protein. It is advisable to eat fresh cheese, especially before going to bed because cheese breaks down slowly in the body and forces the metabolism to take place all night.

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Add spicy spices to your favorite dishes. Adding hot peppers, red chili powder or cayenne pepper to dishes can help boost metabolism. While the effects of eating spicy foods are only temporary, you can add a little spice to one or more meals a day to boost your metabolism. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Chili sauce is a wonderful condiment that can be added to any dish. Not only does it boost metabolism, but chutney doesn’t have a lot of calories, if any (depending on the brand).
Note that while it boosts metabolism, spicy foods only add up to about 8%, so you’ll still have to watch your calorie intake if you’re trying to lose weight. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Boost metabolism through exercise

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Set aside at least 30 minutes a day for aerobic exercise (aerobic exercise). Aerobic exercise helps burn calories during exercise and improves metabolism even after you’ve finished exercising. If you’re having a hard time getting a full 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, break it up into several sets throughout the day, such as 5, 10, or 15 minute sessions. ^{[5] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

When you start your exercise regimen (if you haven’t had a regular exercise routine before), you’ll feel hungrier. This is completely normal! It’s your body telling you it needs more energy to keep up with the new calorie expenditure.

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Increase strength training. The process of building muscle increases the resting metabolic rate. 0.5 kg of muscle will burn 6 calories per day, while 0.5 kg of fat will only burn 2 calories per day. This number may not sound like much, but the number of calories the body burns at rest will increase over time. ^{[6] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}^{[7] X Research Source} Muscle burns more calories than fat (73 more calories per kilogram a day to be exact), so the more The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will be. Each muscle cell is increased like a small factory that helps to burn calories continuously, even when you are asleep, and burn more calories when you exercise.

This is the only way to increase the RMR rate, which accounts for 60-70% of the calories you burn daily. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Get more exercise in other ways. The more you move, the more your metabolism will increase. So look for opportunities to increase your mobility throughout the day. For example, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car far away from your destination (such as an office, supermarket, restaurant, etc.), or cycle to work instead of riding a motorbike or car. . ^{[9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Find another way to increase your metabolism

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Drink a lot of water. Research has shown that increasing water intake can also increase metabolic rate by up to 40%. This result could be due to the body’s attempt to heat up the water you drink, but the reason for this increase is still unclear. ^{[10] X Research Sources} Our bodies often confuse thirst with hunger, so it’s important to stay hydrated.

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Drinking coffee. Research also shows that coffee boosts metabolism thanks to its caffeine content. One study showed that drinking coffee significantly increased metabolic rate in both normal weight and obese people. ^{[11] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source} Note that caffeine’s metabolism-boosting effects are lower than with other measures, such as exercise. ^{[12] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to the Source} Excessive caffeine consumption can also cause restlessness, insomnia and other negative side effects. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Drink green tea. Combining green tea (even decaffeinated green tea) with diet and exercise can improve metabolic rate. Research shows that combining the consumption of decaffeinated green tea extract with exercise produces more dramatic results than exercise alone. ^{[14] X Research Sources} therefore, consider adding decaffeinated green tea extract or 1-2 cups of green tea in conjunction with diet and exercise.

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Eat a healthy diet, but don’t fast. Fasting will significantly limit calorie intake, so it will have a negative impact on metabolism. While you may initially lose a few pounds by fasting, it will then slow down your metabolic rate and often lead to more weight gain. Fasting also causes diets to lack the necessary variety, which in turn leads to deficiencies in a number of important nutrients. ^{[15] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source}

Understand metabolism

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Identify factors that affect metabolism. Metabolism is affected by many factors. Some factors you can control and change but others cannot.

Age – After age 40, for every additional 10 years of age, metabolic rate drops by 5%, ^{[16] X Research Source} , in part due to loss of muscle mass.
Gender – Men typically burn calories faster than women because they have more muscle tissue.
Genetic factors – You may have inherited your metabolic rate from previous generations.
Thyroid disorders – Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can slow or speed up metabolism. You should see your doctor if you think you may have a thyroid disorder. This is especially important for women. Hormones and other factors can make it harder for you to lose weight, even a very small amount; Usually diseases like PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) go undiagnosed.
Weight – Different tissues of the body have different effects on resting metabolism. Compared to fat, lean muscle promotes a faster metabolism per unit mass. Because lean muscle is denser than fat, its ability to affect metabolism per unit volume is more significant than fat. ^{[17] X Research source} .
Body size – Metabolic rate increases as weight, height and body size increase.
Body composition – The metabolic activity of adipose tissue is inferior to that of lean muscle tissue. So the metabolic rate will increase as lean muscle mass increases.
Climate and Body Temperature – The basal metabolic rate of people living in tropical climates is 5–20% higher than that of people living in temperate regions because they need more energy to keep their bodies healthy. cool. Exercising in hot weather also boosts metabolism. The amount of body fat and the effectiveness of clothing will determine the ability to increase energy metabolism in cold environments; The body needs more energy when working or exercising in a cold environment to keep the body warm.

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Estimate resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is often used interchangeably with basal metabolic rate (BMR). Although slightly different, estimating either of these metrics should suffice for weight loss purposes. The equation below shows that the heavier you are, the higher your RMR will be. To calculate the RMR, use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (more precise than the Harris-Benedict equation) ^{[18] X Research Source} ). In addition, online calculators can also help you calculate RMR:

RMR = 9.99w + 6.25s – 4.92a + 166g-161
- w = weight in kilograms; If you measure your weight in pounds, you need to divide it by 2.2 to convert to kg
- s = height in cm; If your height is measured in inches, multiply by 2.54 to convert to cm
- a = age in years
- g = gender: 1 for men, 0 for women

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Recalculate RMR as needed. Metabolism slows down as you lose weight. The more you weigh, the more calories your body has to burn, even when at rest to maintain itself. When you start restricting calories, it’s relatively easy to lose weight because your body’s high calorie needs are not being met. But after you start to lose weight, your body loses mass, so fewer calories are needed. To continue to lose weight, you will have to restrict calories even more to maintain the difference between what your body needs and what you take in. Here is a hypothetical example:

You weigh 100 kg and your body needs 2,500 calories to sustain itself. You cut calories down to 2,000 calories.
You have lost 12.5 kg. Currently, your body only needs 2,250 calories to sustain itself because of the weight loss.
If you continue on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet (the diet that helps you lose 12.5 kg initially), you will still lose weight, but the rate will be slowed down to half. To maintain a steady rate of weight loss, you need to cut even more calories. However, the amount of calories consumed should not be less than the RMR.
Each person is unique, so there is no “one-size-fits-all” calorie count. While the Harris Benedict equation is globally recognized and is as accurate as possible, you’ll also need to experiment with calories to get an exact number that will help you lose weight more effectively. Don’t reduce your total calorie intake if you don’t notice a change in 2 weeks. You need to give your body time to adapt.

Advice

Try to avoid soda, salty foods, and salad dressings. Soda is proven to make you crave more and crave foods high in sugar, thus causing weight gain.
Drink a lot of water, dehydration will reduce metabolism.
Many people believe that certain foods increase metabolism. However, this is wrong. The best way to increase metabolism is to eat small portions and exercise.
Stay away from over-the-counter weight loss pills or other “fast weight loss pills”. As their name suggests, these products seem to be very effective for weight loss. However, over-the-counter weight loss pills are not regulated by the FDA, so there is no guarantee that they will help you lose weight. Some medications can even be dangerous because they contain caffeine and other ingredients. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Warning

Do not overdo the diet or exercise program. Consult with your doctor or dietitian to determine a weight loss plan that is right for your body type before starting an exercise or diet plan.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, your calorie needs will increase. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a doctor or specialist before cutting back on your diet or reducing any particular food group.

Steps