If your weight loss feels like it’s dragging exceptionally slowly, it’s time to think about being able to speed up your metabolism. This refers to being able to amp up the rate at which your body burns through calories and stored fats. The faster your metabolic rate, the easier it is to drop the pounds when you’re controlling your caloric intake and living a physically active lifestyle.
A Slow Metabolism Makes it Harder to Control Your Weight
The main reason people are overweight is because their basal metabolic rate (BMR) is lower than it should be. BMR is the rate at which your body burns calories to perform its normal functions of digestion, circulation, breathing, etc. This means that they burn fewer calories 24 hours a day. Obviously, over a period of months, this adds up to stored fat.
Your body needs a minimum of 1500 to 2000 calories a day to perform its normal functions. When it does not get its daily requirement it slows down the metabolic rate. The protective function of the human body is to survive. So when the body 'senses' that it is not getting enough calories, it will start slowing down all its functions so that it does not burn up as many calories... This means that the rate of digestion, circulation, breathing slows down.
This includes brain and central nervous system functions. By doing this the body is instinctively 'saving' calories. By drastically reducing your caloric intake you are working against the natural rhythm of your body. This is also the reason you will see that you gain all + more of the lost weight as soon as you get off your diet. The body starts 'storing' calories for a future 'self-induced famine'. This is also known as the 'yo-yo syndrome'... losing and gaining the same weight over and over again, which is also very common with crash dieting.
Tips to Speed up your Metabolism
- Do some type of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, aerobics, etc.) on a DAILY basis for 30 to 60 minutes, preferably in the morning. Forget this twice-a-week stuff. Your body was designed to be active on a daily basis! When you are active your metabolism will soar!
- Do an additional 15 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise in the evening, five days per week
- Incorporate "intervals" into most of your aerobic sessions. Intervals are a powerful tool to help boost your metabolism. Intervals means adding a brief stint of 1 minute aerobic activity every 10 minutes into your regular exercise routine.
- Tone your muscles with weight training six days per week. Toned muscles supercharge your metabolism! This should be done just after an aerobic exercise session. You should exercise each body part three times per week. For example, work on the lower body on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the upper body on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This can be accomplished at a gym or at home with a few sets of dumbbells.
- Do not skip meals. Always eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you are "starving" because you haven't had food in 18+ hours (dinner the night before to lunch the following day). As a protective mechanism, your metabolism slows down.
- Look for ways to be active. Park as far from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, etc. Look for the "hard" way to do things!
The Effects of Food on Metabolism
Anything that speeds up the heart rate, such as stimulants, will temporarily increase your BMR. Examples of food stimulants include caffeine and spicy chili peppers (the key being spicy). Complex carbohydrates (i.e. bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables) contain about half the calories by weight of fat. Plus, it is more work for the body to convert carbohydrates to body fat.
Alcohol is a concentrated calorie source and contains few nutrients. It actually reduces the body's ability to burn fat. The soluble fiber in oat products not only lowers cholesterol but enhances weight loss.
Walking within 10 minutes of eating can actually boost your TEF helping your body burn 10% more calories than normal. Eating every 3 to 4 hours (6 to 7 small meals per day) will increase your TEF, thus your metabolism.
Ways to Increase Metabolism
- Never ever skip meals, especially breakfast.
- After lunch and dinner, take a brief walk (10 to 15 minutes).
- Do NOT eat LESS than 1200 calories per day.
- Eat 50 to 60% of your calories from carbohydrates.
- Train with weights at least 3 days a week.
- Perform some form of aerobic exercise most days of the week.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Get Plenty of Sleep.
By following these few simple tips and tricks – which are recommended for good health regardless of your efforts to control your weight – you’ll find that you can speed up your metabolism and focus on living a life of wellness.