Boosting metabolism can be a masterstroke for weight watchers in terms of weight loss. How fast your body can burn calories depends on many factors. Genetics is the main factor as some people are born with a speedy metabolism while others have to strive hard. Similarly, men have higher metabolic rates than women, even at rest. In addition, age also affects metabolism as, after the age of 40, metabolism is slowed. Although it is not in our hand to control our genes, age or gender, what we can control is lifestyle and ways that can help to boost the metabolism.  

Ways to Boost the Metabolism

There are many ways to improve the metabolism. Some of daily routine changes that can be adopted to boost the metabolism are discussed below in this article.

Building Muscles  

Our body is working continuously even we are in a resting position. Respiration, circulating blood, maintaining body temperature, and other functions of the body are always burning the calories. This metabolic are higher in people with more muscle mass.   

As per WebMD, “Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily.”  

By building the muscle mass, this metabolic rate of consuming calories increases over time, resulting in weight loss.  

Daily Work Out  

Light but regular daily exercise does not mean to build muscles or tone up your body. Somewhat it also improves your metabolism in the remaining part of the day. What you need is to push yourself to the gym. The metabolic rate spikes up more when you perform high-intensity workout than low or moderate- level work out. To get early and more benefits make a routine to do intense work out for an hour or half or include short jogging spans in your daily walk.   

Fuel-Up your Body with Water  

The human body comprises 60% of water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.  

The human body needs water to burn calories. Decreased hydration can slow down metabolism. Studies show that a person who drinks 8 glass of water has a way faster metabolism than those who drink the half quantity.   

Generally, an adult male needs about 3 liters (3.2 quarts) per day while an adult female needs about 2.2 liters (2.3 quarts) per day. All of the water a person needs does not have to come from drinking liquids, as some of this water is present in the food we eat.  

Take Healthy Snacks between Meals  

It is a wholly misunderstood concept that eating less or skipping meals can help you lose weight. It’s not true at all. Eating more often can help you lose weight if you are planning your snacks wisely. The metabolism decreases in person s who eat long meals with many hours of a gap in between.   

Having small snacks every 3 to 4 hours helps you burn more calories during the entire day and keeps the metabolism get going.   

In addition to this, people who snack regularly eat less at mealtime, which reduces the number of calorie intake.   

Spice Up the Meals  

According to The New York Times, Over the years, various studies have examined the claim and suggested that certain spices can increase metabolic rate by raising body temperature, though to what extent and for how long is unclear. Capsaicin, the compound that gives red chilli pepper its powerful kick, creates the largest bump in heat generation, which helps burn more calories immediately after a meal. Black pepper and ginger have similar effects.  

Spicy food can increase the metabolic rate of up to 8%. However, the effect is timely and negligible but a consistent routine worth it. In addition to ticking the metabolism, spicy food also increases the feeling of satiety.   

Take more Protein-rich Diet

It is better to power up your body with protein, replacing daily intake of carbohydrates and fats. The body burns more calories in digesting the protein than it burns in digesting carbohydrates and fats.   

Drink a Cup of Black Coffee  

Caffeine in the coffee has a remarkable effect of reducing the tiredness and increasing the endurance for exercise. Similarly, there are a few metabolism-related perks of a cup of coffee can produce a timely increase in metabolism rate.  

Increase Metabolism by Drinking Green Tea  

Caffeine and catechins can contribute to rev up the metabolism for a couple of hours. Drinking green tea provides the combined effect of the these two components. If taken regularly can increase the metabolism up to 17% after a moderately intense exercise.   

Never Follow a Crash Diet  

Crash diet- refers to a diet that involves eating less than 1200 calories (for women) or 1800 calories (for males) are extremely harmful to you in the long run. Although these diets will help you to lose weight fast, its negative aspect cannot be ignored. Crash diets lead to a decrease in muscle mass at the expense of losing a few pounds. Reductions in muscle mass backfire by slowing the metabolism.   

The body will start burning fewer calories and begin gaining weight even faster than before the diet.   

Get Enough Sleep  

Sleep plays an indispensable role in maintaining good health. Sleep-deprived persons are more prone to health disorders. Getting adequate sleep also affects metabolism by maintaining the levels of two important metabolic hormones Leptin (huger causing) and Ghrelin (hunger-suppressing).   

Adequate sleep helps in increasing the blood levels of Ghrelin, making you feel full and discouraging late-night snacking, therefore helps maintain the weight.   

There is growing interest and evidence that sleep loss and sleep disorders have a significant impact on metabolism. Laboratory studies have clearly shown that sleep deprivation can alter the glucose metabolism and hormones involved in regulating metabolism, that is, decreased leptin levels and increased ghrelin levels. A majority of large epidemiological studies have suggested that chronic partial sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of obesity and diabetes.  

The Bottom Line  

Making small but meaningful lifestyle changes, and incorporating these suggestions into your routine can help to boost the metabolism and increase weight loss.

Having a higher metabolism can help you reduce weight and keep it off while also giving you more energy to live a happier and healthier life.