The Secret To A Faster Metabolism
The Secret To A Faster Metabolism
When you want to boost your metabolism to see changes in your body, the key is to know that your metabolism is the chemical engine that keeps you alive. The speed at which it runs varies from one person to the next, however if an increase in muscle mass or a means to decrease body fat is the ultimate goal, understanding how your metabolism works is step one. A person with a faster metabolism can burn fat quicker, while those with a slow metabolism tend to have more leftover calories, which get stored as fat.
What Is Metabolism?
Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes in your body. The faster your metabolism, the more calories your body needs. If you’re a devout exercise person and thrive on increasing your heart rate and reaping the endorphin high, your metabolism is the reason you can eat a lot without gaining weight, while others seem to need less to accumulate fat.
The speed of your metabolism is commonly known as metabolic rate. Basically, it’s the number of calories you burn in a given amount of time, also known as caloric expenditure.
Metabolic rate can be divided into several categories:
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR): Your metabolic rate during sleep or deep rest. It is the minimum metabolic rate needed to keep your lungs breathing, heart pumping, brain ticking, and body warm.
- Resting metabolic rate (RMR): The minimum metabolic rate required to keep you alive and functioning while at rest. On average, it accounts for up to 50–75% of total calorie expenditure (1
- Thermic effect of food (TEF): The number of calories burned while your body is digesting and processing food. TEF usually represents about 10% of your total energy expenditure Thermic effect of exercise (TEE): The increase in calories burned during exercise.
- Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): The number of calories required for activities other than exercise. This includes fidgeting, changing posture, standing, and walking around
There are several factors that affect your metabolic rate, including:
- Age: The older you get, the slower your metabolic rate.
- Muscle mass: The greater your muscle mass, the more calories you burn.
- Body size: The bigger you are, the more calories you burn.
- Environmental temperature: When your body is exposed to cold, it needs to burn more calories to prevent your body temperature from falling.
- Physical activity: All body movements require calories. The more active you are, the more calories you’ll burn. Your metabolism will speed up accordingly.
- Hormone disorders: Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism slow down metabolic rate and increase your risk of weight gain.
One thing is clear — not everyone is created equal when it comes to metabolic rate. Most of this variation is due to people’s age, as well as their environment and behavior. However, the role of genetics in these individual differences are continually under the microscope.
The 8 Ways To Speed Up Your Metabolism And Lose Weight
Weight loss isn’t only about eating fewer calories, whereas weight gain isn’t merely adding more calories to your diet. There are effective weight loss programs that include strategies to speed up metabolism. Not to mention our RF Slimming And Skin Tightening Ultrasonic Cavitation Device, uses advanced Ultrasonic technology to burn away fat and cellulite. The ultrasound energy avoids any burns or trauma to the skin which makes entire process safe and convenient to use at home.
Here are eight simple methods for you:
1. Move your body
All body movement requires calories. The more active you are, the higher your metabolic rate. Even basic activity, such as standing up regularly, walking around, or doing household tasks, makes a major difference in the long run. This boost in metabolic rate is technically known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).
In severely obese individuals, NEAT may account for a significant portion of daily calorie expenditure due to the extra weight they have to carry around. There are several ways in which you can boost NEAT, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting.
- Stand up regularly and walk around
- Take the stairs versus the elevator whenever possible
- Do household tasks
- Fidget by bouncing your legs or tapping your fingers
- Chew calorie-free gum
- Use a standing desk at your workspace
If you have a desk job, using a standing desk may increase the number of calories you burn by 16%. Another study showed that spending one afternoon standing burned an extra 174 calories compared to sitting. Even seemingly insignificant activities like typing may increase your metabolic rate by 8% compared to doing nothing.
Regular exercise is highly recommended for anyone who wants to lose weight, improve their health, burn fat, or enhance weight loss. Remember that even light activities like walking around, doing household chores, or fidgeting can give you an advantage in the long run.
2. Do high-intensity workouts
One of the most effective forms of exercise is high-intensity workouts, also known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is when exercise involves quick and very intense bouts of activity, such as sprints or fast push-ups. It significantly speeds up your metabolism, even after the workout has finished — an effect dubbed “the afterburn.” Many people who engage in CrossFit swear by this form of body fat decrease and muscle mass increase exercising.
3. Strength train
Another excellent way to speed up your metabolic rate is to strength train. In addition to the direct effect of the exercise itself, strength exercises promote the growth of muscle mass. The amount of muscle you have is directly associated with your metabolic rate. Unlike fat mass, muscle mass significantly increases the number of calories you burn at rest.
Old age is generally associated with muscle loss and drops in overall metabolic rate, however regular strength exercises can partially counteract this adverse effect. Similarly, a calorie-reduced weight loss diet often results in the loss of muscle mass and metabolic rate, and strength training may help prevent this decline.
4. Eat protein
A protein-rich diet is essential if you want to build or maintain your muscle mass. But dietary protein also has other important qualities. All food leads to a temporary increase in metabolic rate, known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). In fact, protein may increase metabolic rate by 20–30%, whereas carbs and fat cause a 3–10% increase or less.
This boost in calorie expenditure may help promote weight loss or prevent weight regain after a weight loss diet. Eating high amounts of protein can also help counteract the loss of muscle mass and metabolic rate associated with weight loss.
5. Don’t starve yourself
While eating less is a key weight loss method, eating too little is usually counterproductive in the long term, mainly because caloric restriction causes a decrease in your metabolic rate. This effect is known as starvation mode or metabolic adaptation. It’s your body’s way of warding off potential starvation and death. Consistently eating fewer than 1,000 calories daily leads to a significant drop in metabolic rate that sticks around even after you stop dieting, and interestingly, intermittent fasting seems to minimize this effect.
6. Drink cold water
Temporarily boosting your metabolic rate doesn’t have to be complicated. As a matter of fact, it can be as simple as going for a walk or drinking a glass of cold water. Drinking water leads to an increase in the number of calories burned, an effect known as water-induced thermogenesis.
Drinking cold water also has an even greater effect than warm water, as this requires your body to warm it up to body temperature. About 16 ounces of cold water may cause a 5–30% increase in the number of calories burned for 60–90 minutes afterward.
7. Drink caffeinated beverages
Caffeinated, low-calorie beverages, such as coffee or green can temporarily speed up your metabolic rate by 3–11%. However, this effect is smaller in obese people, as well as older adults. Additionally, seasoned coffee drinkers might have built up a resistance to its effects, yet for weight loss purposes, sugar-free beverages like plain, black coffee are best. Similar to water, cold coffee may be even more advantageous.
8. Get a good night’s sleep
Getting inadequate sleep is not only bad for your general health, but it may also slow down your metabolic rate and increase your risk of weight gain. Sleeping for only four hours or less per night, with sleep disruption, irregular sleeping times can decrease your metabolism twofold. Also, lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of weight gain and obesity, therefore at least six to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep can increase your resting metabolic rate by 10%.