April 27, 2019
Best ways to burn more calories all day by increasing your metabolism
You’ve likely heard people talking about metabolism and how it helps you to lose weight. Your metabolism is basically the chemical processes in your body that keep it alive and functioning. When people refer to metabolism, they are generally referring to the metabolic rate, which is a measure of how many calories your body burns. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories your body burns and the less trouble you’ll have losing weight. A fast metabolism also does wonders for your mood and energy levels. Here are the best ways to burn more calories all day by increasing your metabolism.
Eat Plenty of Protein at Each Meal
Having a meal can give your metabolism a healthy boost. It’s called the “Thermic Effect of Food” or TEF and is caused by your body burning calories to digest, absorb, and process the food and nutrients that you consume.
Protein is the best way to increase TEF, with protein able to increase metabolic rate by up to 30%, compared to the 5-10% increase carbs offer, and the 0-3% increase for fat. As research shows, protein has also been shown to increase feelings of fullness and discourage overeating. Getting more protein increases your metabolic rate, decreases muscle loss, and more.
Drink Green Tea or Oolong Tea
Tea is good for metabolic rate, in particular, green tea and oolong tea, which have been shown to increase metabolism by up to 5%. They help to convert the fat in your body into free fatty acids, which increases fat burning by up to 17% and helps you to lose weight. Given that these teas are also low in calories, they are handy tools for losing weight and maintaining weight loss.
Do Strength Training to Build Muscle
Muscle is far more metabolically active than fat, and having more muscle helps to increase metabolic rate. Basically, swapping fat for muscle increases calorie loss, even when resting. Lifting weights and strength training also help to combat the metabolism drop associated with weight loss. So start lifting and see the benefits for yourself.
Load up on Water
People who drink water have an easier time losing weight and keeping it off compared to those who drink soda and sugary soft drinks. That’s because those drinks can have a lot of calories, so swapping them for water can reduce your calorie intake. Water has also been shown to temporarily increase metabolism for faster weight loss. Drinking just 17 ounces (half a liter) of water has been shown to increase resting metabolism by 10-30% for up to an hour. The effect is compounded if you drink cold water, as your body has to burn calories heating the water up to body temperature for processing. Finally, water helps you feel fuller; drinking before eating has been shown to reduce how much you eat.
Don’t Skip Breakfast
There’s a lot of varied, often conflicting, advice when it comes to breakfast. One thing we can say for sure though is that it’s vital for boosting your metabolism. Having breakfast in the morning gets your metabolism going and ensures you start your day off right. So don’t skip breakfast in the morning, even if you don’t get much of one.
Have a cup of Coffee
When you have breakfast in the morning, why not grab a cup of coffee with it? Studies have shown that caffeine, the active ingredient of coffee, can boost metabolism by between 3 and 11%. It also helps to promote fat burning, similar to green tea and oolong tea.
However, the effects of caffeine seem to be more beneficial for lean people. One study showed that it increased fat burning by 29% for leaner women compared to 10% for obese women. Drinking coffee can help to lose weight and keep it off.
Take the Stairs
Taking the elevator might get you where you need to be without interrupting anything that you’re trying to do, but using the stairs is better for weight loss and boosting metabolism. You’re going to the same place anyway, so why not put in a little extra effort and do the work to get there on your own two feet? It might not sound like much, but taking the stairs is enough to get your heart going and burn more fat.
Get Quality Sleep
Not getting enough sleep has been connected to the risk of obesity. One reason for this could be how not getting enough sleep negatively affects metabolism. A lack of sleep is also connected to higher insulin resistance and blood sugar levels, the two main risk factors of type 2 diabetes. Sleep is an essential part of life. You need it for just about everything you do in life, including losing weight. So practice good sleep hygiene and get your recommended eight hours to keep your metabolism going and lose weight.
Get Your Metabolism Going
Even making a small lifestyle change can go a long way towards increasing your metabolism and boosting weight loss. Take the stairs, drink cold water, lift some weights, and see what kind of a difference it can make in your life. Speeding up your metabolism makes it easier to lose weight and ensures you have the energy to get through anything that comes your way.
Author bio:
James Adams is a community manager at Proteinpowdergb.co.uk, he is passionate about website operations and learning the latest web trends. When not working James enjoys working out at the gym and cycling.
