Have you ever been a bit miffed with slender people who say, “Oh, I just have a fast metabolism”? Some of us can only wish for such luck. Life seems so easy for them, but the good news is, it can be that easy for you, too.
While every person’s metabolism is different, there are ways to boost metabolism to make each body burn calories at its most efficient rate. All you need to do is make a few tweaks to your diet and lifestyle. Read on to learn about lifestyle tips to help you increase your metabolism and lose weight.
Be Active All Day
It might sound cliche, but being active all day is one of the easiest ways to boost metabolism. We realize this can be a challenge for those of you who work 9 to 5 jobs, but there are plenty of ways to stay active during your work day.
The first thing you can do is break up your workout into two sessions. Try doing a 20-30 minute lift session in the morning before work then going for a 20-30 minute walk during your lunch break or after work.
At work, make a conscious effort to walk a loop around your office each hour to get your blood flowing. If you feel so inclined, you can even add in some desk exercises to give your heart rate a little boost.
If you think creatively, you can squeeze some time in to get your heart rate up.
Find the Right Workout
Sadly, you’re not doing your metabolism any favors by grinding it out on the treadmill for 45 minutes, especially if your body is used to that level of exertion. To effectively boost your metabolism, you need to challenge your body with new exercises regularly.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) offers a way to vary your workouts while also making your cardiovascular system work harder. Studies have shown HIIT helps improve cardiovascular health and insulin sensitivity.
Lifting weights is another way to boost metabolism. Lifting weights increases your lean muscle mass, which requires more calories. As your lean muscle mass increases, your metabolism must work harder to provide your muscles with the requisite amount of energy.
Feed Your Body Right
If you’re an active human, you need to nourish your body to maximize your weight loss efforts. First, this means avoiding diets that make you restrict your calorie intake too much. When your body operates on a calorie deficit for too long, it thinks it is starving. Bad news bears for your weight loss efforts.
Second, you need to eat the right kinds of foods. Avoid processed foods and refined sugars. Incorporate lean proteins and good carbs (vegetables and whole grains) into your diet. Lean proteins require more energy (i.e. more calories) to be broken down and help keep your blood sugar levels even. The carbs in whole grains help deliver the nutrients of the grains and the protein to your body faster while also providing a quick boost of energy.
Adding warming spices like chili, ginger, cayenne, and cinnamon can help your metabolism with lipid oxidation, the process of burning fat.
Sip These Beverages
In addition to eating right, you also need to keep in mind what you drink. Water should be your primary go-to when you’re trying to lose weight and be a healthier person in general. If plain water is too boring for you, you can infuse with lemon, mint, and cucumber.
Green tea should also be on your list. This metabolism essential is chock full of antioxidants that can help loosen fat cells from fat deposits.
Black coffee can help burn fat. When consumed after a meal, the chlorogenic acid in the coffee can contribute to slow the rate of glucose production in the body which also slows the production of new fat cells.
Sleep
Sleep is nature’s greatest medicine. During sleep, your body repairs itself and strengthens its immune system to fight off sickness. Getting enough sleep gives you enough energy for your body to perform its regular functions like activating your metabolism and digest foods properly.
When you can’t get enough sleep, your body allocates its limited amount of energy to more important areas like your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Sleep disorders like insomnia contribute to weight gain due to an ineffective metabolism and inability to regulate hunger. Not getting enough sleep tends to mean you also don’t have enough energy to get the requisite amount of exercise each week.
Make The Change
Change is hard, but by making these small changes in your lifestyle, you will find your way to a faster metabolism and increased weight loss. Just remember, eat whole foods, don’t drink your sugar, stay active, and sleep! Your body will do the rest.