Eat this, eat that, drink this, do that. When it comes to losing weight, it seems everyone has a tip or two. If you are on a weight loss spree or are even remotely aware of what it takes to lose weight, you may have heard of the word ‘metabolism’. Turns out that people with a high metabolism are able to burn more calories and lose weight more quickly unlike those with a lower metabolism who have to put in a little extra effort to shed the same amount of weight. While some people are genetically blessed with a fabulous metabolic rate, for those less fortunate, things are not as grim either. Here are some super effective ways that can speed up your metabolism and with less effort.
1. Don’t Starve
No, your way towards getting those killer abs is not through starving. When you eat less than what your body needs, your brain detects that it’s getting lesser energy, and as a defense mechanism your body brings down metabolism, this in the long run may only add to a few pounds. Also when you starve for too long, you tend to binge more later. Eat just enough so you’re not hungry, to keep your metabolism running.
When you starve for too long, you tend to binge more later.
2. Don’t Skip Your Breakfast
Put your best foot forward first thing in the morning. Not only can you set your metabolism racing but also burn calories throughout the day. There is an old saying “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”. Setting the metabolism racing right at the start of the morning is always a good idea to lose weight.
3. Eat Every Three Hours
Eating regular intervals ensures better calorie-burning. Frequent eating or eating at shorter intervals enables your body to metabolise more calories. Long gaps between meals should be avoided because it drops your blood sugar which could also slow down the metabolism.
Eat every three hours to keep the metabolism running
4. Fight the flab with fiber
Fibre not only adds bulk to your stool and aids your bowel movement and digestion (a win-win for metabolism), it also helps you feeling full for a longer spell of time and keeping you from bingeing into other fattening foods. Whole grain cereals, garden fresh vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, spinach and avocados are high in fibre, minerals and protein. Fruits like guava, apple and plums are also loaded with fibre.
Fibre helps you feeling full for a longer spell of time
5. Load up on protein
Protein helps by increasing muscle mass and increasing muscle mass helps boost metabolism, just like fibre. Protein also takes longer to digest thus preventing those uncalled for binges.
Protein takes long to digest
6. Water
Staying hydrated can cleanse the digestive system and assist in maintaining a high rate of metabolism. Balancing bodily fluids is very essential in maintaining a healthy metabolic rate. Along with water you can also load up on drinks like homemade nimbu paani and coconut water.
Staying hydrated can cleanse the digestive system
7. Vitamin D
Lower levels of Vitamin D can make you lose weight at a slower rate and can trigger increased production of hormone ghrelin which usually propels frequent hunger pangs. Milk, egg yolks, fish, nuts are packed with vitamin D so start loading up already.
Lower levels of Vitamin D can make you lose weight at a slower rate
8. Enjoy your daily cuppa
Coffee, tea or green tea can do much more than keep you attentive and alert through the day. Green tea especially has been linked to increase metabolism by a whopping 5 percent. It helps convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may trigger fat burning.
It helps convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids
9. Sleep Well
Get enough sleep and try keeping stress at bay. Sleep deprivation has been linked to boost the hunger hormone ghrelin. Experts have also linked inadequate sleep with obesity and diabetes.
Get enough sleep and try keeping stress at bay
10. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
It is a kind of training that involves intense bursts of activity which helps burn more fat by putting your metabolic activity in action.
Steady, balanced diet and training are all you need to rev up your metabolism. Now that you have the secret tips and tricks at hand, start fighting those extra inches around your tummy already.
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