Having a high metabolic rate leads to faster weight loss, and there are actually a lot more ways to boost metabolism than most people realize. The rate that your body burns calories is different in every individual. A faster rate is associated with being able lose weight more rapidly, as well as to keep it off for longer periods. While metabolic rate is primarily determined by genetics and other factors that cannot be influenced, there are some things you can do to increase your metabolism. Let’s look at five of the top ones.
1. Drink Your Water
It has been shown that drinking water can temporarily speed up metabolism. An increase of about 10 to 30 percent, lasting approximately an hour, is possible. Drinking cold water is recommended, as your body’s metabolic rate will also be given a boost as it works to heat the water to body temperature. Drinking water before a meal has the added benefit of helping you to feel more full so that you eat less. Consistently eating smaller portions can also aid in your weight loss.
2. Sleep Well
If you tend to skimp on your recommended eight hours of snooze time or suffer from insomnia, you might notice the numbers on the scale increasing or refusing to budge. The reason for this is because lack of sleep causes lower levels of leptin, the hormone that causes you to feel full and to increase the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Now you know why you feel so hungry when you’re sleep deprived.
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3. Eat Lots of Protein
Eating food is actually one of the ways to boost metabolism due to a process known as thermo effect of food (TEF). This effect is triggered when extra calories are burned during the digestion process. Different types of food have varying rates of TEF. Protein has the highest, leading to a 15 to 30 percent increase in metabolic rate. This revved rate typically lasts a few hours after eating.
4. Amp Up Your Workouts With High Intensity
Any type of exercise ups your metabolism, but high-intensity interval training (HIT) has an even greater effect. These types of workouts ramp up your metabolic rate because of their intense, short periods of various exercises. In addition, HIT helps your body to burn fat.
5. Add Weight Training to Your Routine
It’s a proven fact that building muscle increases metabolism. Therefore, it makes sense that lifting weights to help you build muscle should be a catalyst for metabolic activity. Once you begin to add muscle mass, your body will burn extra calories daily. Even if you aren’t already exercising regularly, try lifting small hand weights while watching TV as a start to getting your metabolism going.
Losing weight is difficult and can be frustrating. Add these five ways to boost metabolism to your lifestyle routine will make it just a bit easier because, as we all know, every little bit really does count.
