People trying to change their body composition would love to find ways to increase their metabolism. The “metabolism” is the rate at which the body processes calories (energy) to support life. A high metabolism enables you to burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity.
There are several factors that affect metabolism. The amount of muscle tissue, frequency of the meals consumed, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels all influence metabolism. Typically, metabolism slows due to the loss of muscle tissue. This loss may be the result of not enough physical activity requiring muscular effort. Also, the body tends to cannibalize its own tissue when there is not enough energy to sustain it. Although common, but not necessarily acceptable, physical activity tends to decrease with old age.
Training Pointers
- Build your lean, mean body mass – Although many believe that it’s natural for their metabolism to decrease as they age, it is possible to counter this decrease. The amount of muscle you have is a strong determinant of your ability to burn calories and shed fat. So exercise is absolutely essential.
2. Resistance train with weights at least twice a week
3. Do some easy exercises between weight-training workouts. Simple tasks, such as walking your dog or using stairs instead of the elevator, can readily take off calories. The key is to match the number (and type) of calories you eat to the amount of physical activity.
4. Increase the number of repetitions of a particular exercise
5. Progressively increase the level of resistance (weight)
6. Utilize full-body and bodyweight exercise techniques
7. HIIT Training – Insert higher intensity intervals between exercises
8. Perform cross-training to vary and combine exercises
9. Progressively increase endurance and speed
Diet Tips
10. Plan your meals in detail – Always prepare the proper amount of food to be conveniently consumed at designated intervals. Establish your daily eating times. Don’t make the mistake of “grabbing a bite” in sporadic patterns.
11. Avoid sugar. Sugar, if not used during physical activity, increases the body’s fat stores. It is recommended that you consume food that helps maintain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive exercise 2-3 times a week should help stabilize blood sugar
12. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers has been found to increase metabolism.
Lifestyle Improvements
13. Sleep more. According to research, people who do not get enough sleep tend to gain weight. Also, muscle tissue is regenerated and repaired during the final couple of hours of quality sleep.
14. Increase your water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. The majority of bodily functions involves water. A lack of water causes the metabolism to slow. As a result, unnecessary stress is produced.
15. Eat smaller meals. 4-6 small meals are recommended that are timed 2-3 hours apart.
16. Never skip meals. People believe that if they skip meals, they will lose weight. This is a mistake since it may slow down metabolism and make you more likely to binge later.
17. Ditch the stress! Physical or emotional stress triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.
18. Guzzle green tea! It may be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism. Unlike coffee, it has fewer undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.
19. Include more natural plant foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.
20. Eat breakfast. Traditionally, breakfast is regarded as the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, those who eat breakfast tend to be thinner than those who do not. Metabolism may slow down if breakfast is eaten during mid-morning or if delayed until the afternoon.
Achieving the desired body weight is not impossible if you have the determination and patience to stabilize your metabolism. Ultimately, your metabolism plays an important role in any weight loss plan. Eat right, work out, and remember that getting healthy is not a temporary fix, but an ongoing commitment!