Ways To Increase Your Metabolism
Everyone hates those people who seem to eat everything in sight, but
don’t gain weight. They definitely have a high metabolism. If you’re
one of those onlookers that secretly hold a desire to increase your
metabolism, you’re not alone. While you may never have the
metabolism of someone that can eat whatever they want and never
gain weight, you can make losing weight and maintaining that weight
far easier.
Exercise should be the top of your list.
When you workout, you build muscle tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does, so the more you have, the more calories you’ll be burning, even when you’re resting. That’s a boost in your metabolism, while also burning calories while you’re working out. You get a two-fer with this one. The best calorie burners are HIIT-high intensity interval training workouts, with strength building right up there. HIIT workouts keep the calorie burning fire going even after you quit the workout.
Eat protein.
Protein raises your metabolism for a few hours after eating it. It’s the thermic effect that comes from the extra calories it takes to digest, process and absorb the nutrients from the food you’ve eaten. Protein’s thermic effect boosts the metabolism by three times as much as carbs and ten times more than fat. Protein has another benefit, besides boosting your metabolism while you digest it. It leaves you feeling fuller, longer. It also helps minimize the loss of muscle tissue.
Get adequate sleep.
There’s a link between sleeping too little and obesity. That’s because lack of sleep can effect your metabolism in a negative way. Lack of sleep also is associated with other metabolic function, insulin resistance and diabetes. If you wonder why you’re always hungry after burning the candle at both ends, it’s because lack of sleep decreases the amount of leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full, and increases the amount of ghrelin, the one that makes you hungry. Getting more zzz’s is probably sounding pretty good right now!
- Get spicy and burn those calories faster! Eating hot peppers containing capsaicin will raise your metabolism, burning an additional ten calories per meal.
- The hot stuff will do it, but so will the cold stuff. A cold 17 ounce glass of water will raise your metabolism by 10-30% for up to an hour, while the body burns extra energy to warm it up.
- Don’t starve yourself in an attempt to lose weight. If the body thinks it’s starving, it will slow the metabolism to ensure there’s adequate fuel for vital functions. Don’t skip meals.
- Resistance training is a good muscle builder and far better for boosting your metabolism than running or traditional forms of cardio. Combine it with a healthy diet and you’ll boost your metabolism and lose weight, while preventing muscle loss.
