What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts calories from food into energy. People often believe that a slim person’s metabolism is high and an overweight person’s metabolism is low, but this isn’t usually the case. Metabolism alone does not determine your weight. Rather, weight is dependent on the balance of calories consumed versus the calories burned. Eat more calories than you need — you gain weight. Eat fewer calories than you need — you lose weight. Metabolism is merely the body’s engine that burns calories and regulates your caloric needs.
Here are ways to boost your metabolism, so you can burn fat fast:
-The first thing you need to do is add breakfast to your daily meal planner. Although many people don’t like eating breakfast, it gives your body the rev up it needs to launch your metabolism. A 250-calorie snack is all it takes to boost your metabolism in the morning
-Another way to increase your metabolism is to add spices to your food. According to the U.S. Agricultural Research Service, Cinnamon is one spice that increases your metabolism twentyfold — and all you have to ingest is a mere 1/4 to 1 tsp per day!
-While you’re planning your meals, you may want to add kiwi fruit to your diet. Kiwis pack a lot of vitamin C, but if you add 500 mg of it to your day, you burn up to 39% more fat when you’re exercising. Don’t get too much C, though, because once you get to the 2,000 mg mark, you start experiencing adverse effects like bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
-Another metabolism boosting measure is to watch what you drink. Adding ice to a drink makes your body work harder because it has to heat it up in your stomach, which increases your metabolism. Also, ingesting a caffeine drink like coffee or tea can raise your heart rate and increase your metabolism.
-Where you’re eating can be just as important as what you’re eating. When you’re having breakfast in the morning, try positioning yourself near a window so that you can soak up some sun. The bright light boosts your metabolism and also helps you increase bone and muscle strength
-Make sure you’re getting enough chromium in your diet to help your body burn more calories. Chromium, which is found in tomatoes and in a supplement form, also boosts the way you burn fat. According to MedlinePlus, meat, eggs, green pepper, apples, banana and spinach are also good sources of chromium. When you supplement 120 mcg of chromium daily, your body benefits by revving up its metabolism.
-If you really want to kick-start your metabolism, you may also try dividing your meals up into smaller portions that you eat more often throughout the day. Every time you eat, it helps your metabolism rise, so as strange as it may sound, eating frequently can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.Don’t eat fewer than 1,000 calories a day. Your body and metabolism thrive on food. When you fast or crash diet, your metabolism will slow down in order to conserve energy. Imagine your metabolism as a blazing fire. If the fire burns consistently with the appropriate amount of high-quality wood, it will burn at a steady rate. But if it doesn’t have enough wood, the fire goes out. If it has too much wood, it can get out control — just like your waistline!
- Eat every four to five hours. Our bodies work hard to digest and absorb the foods we eat, and your metabolism revs up in response. This is called the thermic effect of food. Take full advantage of this and schedule meals and snacks every four to five hours.
- Make breakfast a priority. Studies show that people who regularly eat a healthy breakfast within two hours of rising are more likely to control their weight. This may be because you’re lifting your metabolic rate after it’s been in a “resting phase” during the night.
- Eat protein with every meal:All foods create a thermic effect and will slightly boost your metabolism. However, eating protein gives your body a bigger metabolic boost than eating carbohydrates or fats. Plus, eating enough protein will ensure you’ll maintain and build muscle mass. (Remember, the more muscle mass you have, the greater your metabolic rate). Make sure to incorporate lean protein into most every meal.
Best protein sources: fish, chicken breast, turkey breast, lean red meat, skim milk, nonfat yogurt, eggs and egg substitutes, tofu, beans, and lentils.
Meal Examples:
- Breakfast: yogurt with fresh fruit
- Lunch: turkey burger on whole-grain bun and a salad
- Dinner: grilled chicken with vegetables and a baked potato
Exercise
- Do aerobic exercise four to five days a week. Aerobic activities, such as running, brisk walking, swimming and bike riding, burn calories and increase metabolism while you’re working out. Several studies show that aerobic activities cause your metabolism to stay at an elevated level for a period of time after you have finished exercising.
- Work in strength-training exercise two to three days a week. Lifting weights and other strengthening activities, such as doing push-ups or crunches, on a regular basis will actually boost your resting metabolism all day. That’s because these activities build muscle. And once again, muscle burns more calories than body fat. In fact, if you have more muscle, you burn more calories — even if you’re sitting still.
- When it comes to supplements, I do not recommend them. The ingredients that are effective tend to boost metabolism only slightly and they can be risky. High doses of stimulants can make you jittery, and increase heart rate and blood pressure.
- The bottom line: The safest and most effective way to boost your metabolism is to eat an appropriate amount of food every four to five hours, incorporate a portion of lean protein into each meal, and exercise regularly!
