A few years ago, I hit a brick wall. Despite exercising regularly, I was still putting on weight. Even when I made a conscious effort to maintain a strict diet—I found that although no additional pounds were being added, I wasn’t dropping any either.
Something had to be done—I was unhappy and unenergized.
Then I discovered the secret—boosting my metabolism. This simple and natural process helped me to shed unwanted fat and generally feel awesome.
Let me share these secrets with you, so you can also boost your metabolism.
What Is Metabolism and Can You Boost It?
The metabolism is defined as the sum total of the chemical reactions that occur within living beings, which results in the creation of energy and growth.
But when talking about health and fitness, we’re generally referring to the speed at which our bodies are burning calories. And the truth is you’re doing this all the time, even while reading this article.
Get ready for this.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) defines the rate at which your body uses energy when at rest, like now—and it’s genetic.
You read that right.
When guys or girls say they’re piling on the pounds due to a slow metabolism—they could be telling the truth. Although to be fair, if they’re sitting on the sofa all day watching TV and eating donuts—then their BMR probably has little to do with their weight issues.
However, for those people who exercise regularly and are still finding losing weight tough—their metabolic rate can be a significant factor.
In addition to your BMR, you burn calories through:
- Diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT): The energy that’s expended by digesting food.
- Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): Calories burned through non-exercise based activities, such as shivering, standing, going to the restroom, scratching, and changing position.
- Thermic effect of exercise (TEE): The energy used when exercising—the more active you are, the more calories are utilized.
Here’s the good news.
There are ways to boost your metabolism—naturally. These aren’t some snake oil concoctions or ineffective fads, they’re methods grounded in scientific fact.
Why Boost Your Metabolism?
It’s not just about losing weight.
Taking positive steps to boost your metabolism, and therefore drop the pounds, can provide some incredible all-around benefits, including:
- Enabling you to feel more energized.
- Increasing the efficiency of your body to process food—preventing further weight gain.
- Improving health—elevating your metabolic rate can reduce the chance of certain health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke.
- Leading to a better night’s sleep.
- Enhancing mood and preventing depression.
- Making you look awesome.
Let’s get down to business and see how you can easily boost your metabolism.
The Eight Best Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
Here are the simplest and most effective ways to boost your metabolism.
1
Eat Metabolism-Boosting Foods
Naturally, you want to eat healthily—filling your body with fat-crammed cookies will do little to improve your overall well-being or your physique.
However, there are certain foods that are known to boost your metabolism, including:
- Foods high in protein: Found in eggs, meat, nuts, and fish, these staples not only boost diet-induced thermogenesis but also help maintain muscle during dieting.
- Spicy foods: Many “hot” foods, such as peppers and chili, contain the compound capsaicin, proven to enhance energy expenditure and function as an appetite suppressant.
- Coconut oil: Currently one of the most popular “superfoods,” research has indicated that the medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil boost BMR and help burn fat.
- Those that contain selenium and zinc: These minerals are essential for effective thyroid function which controls the metabolic rate—look at consuming Brazil nuts, tuna, legumes, and shellfish.
2
Drink at Least One Cup of Coffee per Day
It’s no surprise that drinking coffee can assist you in using more energy—and therefore calories. As a stimulant, it enhances not just mind function but also leaves you feeling more invigorated. Hence, ready to hit the gym or go for a run.
And, it will boost your metabolism.
Through thermogenesis, experts have discovered that it can elevate the metabolic rate by up to 11 percent—and has proven to be an effective method for weight loss.
Just a quick word of warning.
Where possible, try to consume black coffee, such as espresso or Americano. Heavy milk-based coffees (mochas, lattes, and cappuccinos) will boost the metabolism—but come with the downside.
They’re full of fat and extremely calorie heavy. Some high-street coffees can contain up to 470 calories per serving!
3
Do the Right Kind of Exercise
It’s quite obvious that exercise increases the metabolic rate—but ensuring that you’re following the correct regime can take it to the absolute limit.
Elongated cardio exercise sessions burn calories—but can leave you with a “skinny-fat” appearance. This is where energy intake is insufficient to meet energy demands, meaning you lose muscle tone.
Here’s the key.
To boost your metabolism most effectively—combine HIIT exercise (high-intensity interval training) with resistance workouts (lifting weights).
A study conducted in 2012, illustrated that not only did a few minutes of HIIT three times a week increase metabolic rate during exercise—but also continued to remain elevated afterward.
Furthermore, lifting weights on a frequent basis has been shown to elevate basal metabolic rate by at least five percent—meaning even during rest periods, such as watching TV or reading a book—you’re burning more calories.
4
Avoid the Sofa
We are leading more sedentary lives than ever before.
As our employment and lives gradually become more automated, we’re doing fewer manual tasks every day and sitting in front of a screen more. The energy expended while doing this (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), is minimal.
But get this.
You can boost your metabolism, doing the exact same tasks, by simply standing.
Research in 2005 illustrated that a further 350 calories per day could be expended by working upright.
So wherever possible, ditch the chair and work while erect. Numerous “standing-desks” are now available for purchase. If this is impossible, ensure that during your breaks you drink your coffee or eat your lunch walking or standing.
5
Sleep Like a Baby
We’re burning calories even while we sleep.
Admittedly though, not that many.
You might presume that a “bad” nights’ sleep, that is, where you’re more active, would boost your metabolism and therefore use more energy.
And, you’d be right.
However, studies have indicated that this is only during “sleep” time itself. The remaining daytime hours are affected in the opposite way—a poor night in bed slows down your metabolism.
And, since our waking time is longer than our sleeping (well, unless you’re a cat)—we want a high daytime metabolism—which a good night’s slumber can provide.
There’s more.
Interrupted sleep has been shown to lower production of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. The poorer your slumber, the more likely you are to consume excess calories.
6
Drink Water—the Colder the Better
If you’re looking to boost your metabolism—there’s a temptation to knock back an energy drink.
My advice is—don’t.
The high caffeine content will elevate energy and raise your metabolism—but often at the cost of filling your body with unnecessary sugar.
Instead, drink some cold water.
Consuming just 10 ml of water per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight can elevate your metabolic rate for between 40 minutes to an hour. What’s more, ensuring that the water is cold can increase this even further.
The colder the water, the harder the body has to work through thermogenesis to raise it to normal body temperature. Just drinking 67 ounces of water a day at 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit can raise energy expenditure by 96 calories.
7
Treat Yourself to an Alcoholic Drink
The keyword here is—treat.
This isn’t an excuse to go out with the guys and girls and party every night—sorry about that.
Apart from the numerous health implications that excessive consumption can cause, too much alcohol is an easy way to pile on the pounds.
However, an odd drink now and again is fine. Staying fit and healthy doesn’t have to be punishment.
So, what’s the trick?
First, don’t consume more than one alcoholic drink per day, and—if you’re following a calorie-controlled diet—include this drink in your daily count. Doing so will have little to no effect on weight—allowing you to stick to your goals.
Most importantly, consume your alcoholic drink with your main meal.
Research has indicated that alcohol, when taken in conjunction with food, raises diet-induced thermogenesis—boosting the metabolism and enabling the intake of calories to be processed fast and efficiently—not stored as fat.
8
Supplement with a Metabolism Booster
To really boost your metabolism to the max—consider using a supplement.
Don’t be alarmed.
I’m not talking about sugar pills, “miracle” weight loss tablets, or steroids. In fact, in this article, we’ve already inadvertently looked at some of the boosters I’m referring to.
Let me explain.
The best metabolism boosting supplements combine some of the most powerful scientifically proven ingredients known to raise the metabolic rate—such as caffeine, capsaicin, and coconut oil.
They provide the convenience of elevating the rate of energy expenditure—in one simple tablet.
Side effect and synthetic-free, they’re a 100 percent natural way to lose weight, increase vitality, and enhance overall well-being.
Summary
We all know that consuming a healthy diet and exercising regularly are essential for ensuring overall fitness and health.
But it’s not always enough.
Taking steps to boost your metabolism can help you achieve your targets faster, allowing you to both look and feel great.
Follow my top eight metabolism boosting tips above—and you will soon see the benefits.
