Do you feel like you’re moving in slow motion at times? Have you been proactively trying to lose weight, but have seen little to no results? You might be in need of what we’re referring to as a ” metabolism lift.” Metabolism is the chemical processes in which your cells produce the substances and energy needed to sustain life. In simpler terms, metabolism is the rate your body burns calories. How fast your body burns calories depends on a variety of factors. For instance, some people are genetically predisposed to lose weight at a faster rate or inherit a speedy metabolism. Studies have shown that gender may also play a role in a person’s metabolism rate. Data supports that men tend to burn more calories than women, even while they’re resting. And for most people, metabolism slows steadily after age 40. Realistically, we can’t control the role our age, gender, or genetics, plays in our metabolism rate. Thankfully, there are other ways we can attempt to boost our metabolism. Of course, we wanted to find out the most effective ways to improve it. Find out the experts top recommendations for revving up your metabolism.
Refuel with H2O. Our bodies need water to process calories. Dehydrated can potentially cause your metabolism to slow down. Studies have shown, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. To stay properly hydrated, it is recommended that we drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. Studies have shown that people who drank 8-12 glasses of water a day had higher metabolism rates. And contrary to popular beliefs, cold water is actually proven to be even better at burning calories. Colder drinks reportedly force your body to work to warm up, which burns more energy.
Build muscle mass. Putting on just 5 to 10 pounds of lean muscle mass will amp up your metabolism .When you increase your muscle mass, you boost your resting metabolism — and that causes your body to burn more calories. Studies have shown that women who do eight to twelve reps of strength exercises four times a week can replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle each month. Experts recommend weight training twice a week. The theory is If you’re building strength, you are inevitably losing weight.
Get plenty of cardio. The biggest burn comes from cardiovascular exercise- aerobic classes, walking, running, cycling, taking aerobics classes, dancing, kickboxing, or using cardio machines at a gym, get the heart rate going which in turn burns more calories and boost metabolism. Ideally, we should participate in some form of cardio four to five times week for 30 to 40 minutes at a time. “Step up the amount of exercise, the length of time of your workouts and the intensity, and you’ll definitely see progress.” according to Katie Heimburger an exercise physiologist in Atlanta.
Get more sleep. Studies have found that test subjects who had five and a half hours of sleep a night were hungrier than individuals who had eight hours of sleep a night. According to Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith, author of “Why You Can’t Lose Weight“, sleep deprivation significantly interferes with your ability to metabolize foods. Experts report that at least seven hours of sleep can ward off weight gain as well as improve an person’s overall health.
Eat healthy, eat more. Experts recommend eating every 2 to 3 hours. When we eat it stimulates our metabolism for a short period of time, which means that the more often we eat, the more we’ll increase our metabolism. It is proven that eating every 2 to 3 hours feeds muscle and starves fat. For example, skipping breakfast, eating only a snack for lunch, and gorging out at dinner can potentially frighten the body into storing fat. Extending the time between meals makes your body go into “starvation mode,” which decreases your metabolism as a means to conserve energy and prevent starvation. Having four to six small meals a day and eating healthy snacks will also increase metabolism.Research has shown that people who snack on 250 calories three times per day eat less at regular meals and have higher metabolic rates. Here’s a sample eating schedule:
- 6-8 a.m.: Breakfast
- 10 a.m.: Snack
- 12-2 p.m.: Lunch
- 3-5 p.m.: Snack
- 5-7 p.m.: Dinner
- Don’t eat after 8 p.m.
Spice Up Your Meals & Don’t Forget to Eat Your Protein. Cooking foods with a tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can boost your metabolic rate. It’s suspected that spicy foods increase the heart rate which results in more energy being utilized while ingesting spicier foods. While spicy foods have been studied for their potential metabolic rate increasing properties, there is no conclusive evidence that they impact weight loss. It has been proven that all foods do have what is called the thermic effect and foods with protein are the most thermal of all foods. The body burns many more calories digesting protein than it does for fat or carbohydrates. Replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at mealtime.Healthy sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products. In addition, people who eat protein at breakfast tend to ingest less calories throughout their day. As a result, they end up burning more calories by eating protein, and taking in less as well.
Other recommended metabolism boosting supplements by Dr. Oz
1.White Bean Extract
White bean extract blocks starch and prevents carbs from being absorbed in the body. Studies show if you absorb fewer calories, you’ll lose fat and your metabolism will speed up. Take one tablet each day before a meal. Purchase vials of 120 tablets online for about $20.
2. L-Arginine Supplement
L-Arginine is an amino acid that helps build muscles and revs metabolism. Take one capsule daily. You can buy 100-capsule bottles for about $10 at drug stores.
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