Give your metabolism the edge
Generally, there’s not too much we can do to change our metabolism, but there are a few practical ways to tweak it to your advantage, especially if you want to lose weight.
On the most basic level, metabolism is the combined energy intake and expenditure process. Your metabolic rate is the speed of your metabolism or the number of calories you burn over a specific period of time.
Here are some ways to give it an edge:
#1: HIIT
It is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). And for a good reason! HIIT has a strong anaerobic cardiovascular training effect, but it also induces the EPOC effect. EPOC stands for “Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” and describes the increased rate of oxygen intake following HIIT training. What does this mean? Well, the strenuous nature of HIIT forces your body to tap into a wide range of metabolic and energy processes. So, while you rest, your body is still busy restoring its balance and burning off calories in the process.
#2: Strength training
While HIIT benefits from the EPOC effect, strength training itself can burn a lot of calories and, over time, improve body composition. Regular strength training means that the muscles being engaged to burn more calories when resting, and this figure will increase the more often you train. If your goal is to lose weight and gain muscle, strength training should be part of your training regime and shouldn’t be overlooked.
#3: More protein
Surprising as it may seem, there’s a way to burn more calories by eating more: consuming protein! When we eat protein, our body is forced to use energy to get to all the amino acids within the protein. This is known as the “thermic effect of food,” or TEF, making protein weigh less in caloric balance than other macronutrients such as carbohydrates.
At the same time, eating more protein will help you build more muscle and improve your body composition while also decreasing your appetite.
#4: Water and green tea
Another way to boost your metabolism is to avoid liquid calories that are “empty” such as soda. Focus instead on calorie-free beverages such as water and tea!
Stimulating drinks like green tea and coffee are also known for their metabolism-boosting effects as they decrease appetite. However, always be careful not to drink tea or coffee too late during the day or you’ll lose sleep – another factor that may be bad for your metabolism.
#5: NEAT
Increasing NEAT is a less obvious (but effective) way to get your metabolism going. This is the abbreviation for “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” and describes every way in which you burn calories by moving that isn’t actual exercise. A simple everyday example of this would be to take the stairs instead of the elevator. NEAT can be highly effective in boosting your metabolism, as, unlike training, it can be done constantly throughout the day.
Metabolism is relatively set in stone, but you can take a few steps to boost it slightly and enhance physical results. These are basic and should all be included in a healthy lifestyle.