Most of us have heard of Metabolism. Metabolism is your internal furnace that helps convert nutrients and minerals into energy to help us grow and survive. For our metabolism to work effectively, we need to fuel it. Many things can affect the rate of our metabolism, as expected, everyone's acts individually and differently. Generally those with more muscle, the male species and the younger generation have a faster basal metabolic rate. Your basal metabolic rate is your body's ability to burn calories at rest.
Aside from metabolism, a couple of other things influence our ability to burn calories. Thermogenesis (or food processing) burns calories, simply digesting, transporting and absorbing the food we eat every day. Physical activity obviously also burns calories.
So why are we talking about metabolism? I know a lot of people (girls usually) who are in the business of trying to lose weight. They embark on juice detoxes, crash diets and restrictive meal plans to quickly drop kilos, but what they don't realise is they could be seriously affecting their metabolism in the long term. Aside from that, crash diets and starvation usually result in more weight gained when returning to their normal diet. We can't soley blame metabolism on weight gain, but one thing's for sure, those with inherently hot as hell metabolisms are usually naturally slender. Obviously we know the not-so-secret secret to losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume, but for long term weight stability, one's metabolism must work to the optimum.
So, I've put together the ways in which I boosted my own metabolism, when it became sluggish a few years ago.
1. Start Training Weights
Yes, I know the thought of lifting weights can set girls into a frenzy, but the more muscle mass you have, the greater your ability to burn calories. Women usually have a preconceived notion that cardio is the way to go when trying to drop the Kgs, but what they don't realise is your body will soon become used to long jogs or cycles, meaning that in order to burn more calories you have to start running/cycling further and further. Instead, a way to consistently feel the burn, is to train at a high intensity in intervals. HIIT training keeps your body guessing, by constantly pushing it to the limit and revving up energy demand. Training this way will not only tone you up, but it will help boost your metabolism and increase the resting metabolic rate.
2. Green Tea
The active ingredient in green tea, catechin, has been found to help increase metabolism. It may increase the body's thermogenesis, however, for it to have an effect, 5 cups a day is required to have a positive impact. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a lot of green tea to me, so instead, I take green tea supplements on days that I'm unable to drink it.
3. Don't Starve Yourself
NOTE: This is not an invitation to stuff your face with all sorts of 'good fats' and 'lean proteins' and 'slow energy release carbs'. You still need to be mindful of what you eat. If you cut calories completely, your body goes into starvation mode (natural instincts) and holds onto every last bit of energy (fat and calories) it can. When you can't manage to control your urges and binge on carb fuelled, fat laiden snacks, your body will still be in starvation mode, and it will still cling on to those calories...basically you'll be back at square 1. So instead of starving yourself and restricting your diet, eat well and regularly. Don't let yourself 'starve' or get too hungry. Consume plenty of vegetables, complex carbohydrates and lean protein as such foods increase your thermogenesis as they can take a little longer to digest.
4. Eat Breakfast
With that said, make sure you eat breakfast. A protein and nutrient rich breakfast will kick start your metabolism, and set you up for a day of healthy choices. Avoid sugary foods for breakfast, as it will cause a spike in insulin release. Caffiene can also cause a spike in blood sugar levels, so probably best to drink it after breakfast, once your blood glucose levels have stabilised. Eating breakfast is like putting that first piece of wood on a pile of burning embers, it kick starts a fire that will keep burning strong throughout the day.
5. Drink Cold Water
We all know we should drink plenty of water to keep our bodies hydrated, but it has been found that drinking cold water demands your body to warm it up to body temp. This can help increase your thermogenesis. Drinking plenty of water can also keep hunger at bay, preventing one from unnecessary snacking. Remember that thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so have a good gulp of water before reaching for that mid morning snack!
Finally, my tip to you is to be realistic. If you know you're gaining weight but don't understand why, take a good hard look at what you're actually putting into your body. Exercising is great, not just physically but mentally. But if you really want to look good naked, you need to be mindful about what you eat. Keep a food diary, it often helps to discover if you're unconsciously snacking and not realising. Abs are made in the kitchen after all.
I'm off to chuck another piece of wood on the fire (eat lunch).
V x
5. Drink Cold Water
We all know we should drink plenty of water to keep our bodies hydrated, but it has been found that drinking cold water demands your body to warm it up to body temp. This can help increase your thermogenesis. Drinking plenty of water can also keep hunger at bay, preventing one from unnecessary snacking. Remember that thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so have a good gulp of water before reaching for that mid morning snack!
Finally, my tip to you is to be realistic. If you know you're gaining weight but don't understand why, take a good hard look at what you're actually putting into your body. Exercising is great, not just physically but mentally. But if you really want to look good naked, you need to be mindful about what you eat. Keep a food diary, it often helps to discover if you're unconsciously snacking and not realising. Abs are made in the kitchen after all.
I'm off to chuck another piece of wood on the fire (eat lunch).
V x
