Apr
When you are trying to lose weight one of the things you hear talked about most is your metabolism. Just what is it and why should you care?
Your metabolism refers to the process that your body uses to convert calories into energy. When we talk about “burning calories” we are talking about your metabolism.
Your metabolism works all the time - while you are exercising, while you are sitting around watching TV, and even while you are sleeping. See, even when you are doing nothing your body takes care of many functions like keeping your heart pumping, breathing, etc.
These bodily functions require energy and your body metabolizes calories to provide that energy. The rate at which your body burns calories just to keep functioning is called your basal metabolism.
You may be surprised to find that most of the calories that you burn during the day are a result of your body simply working to stay alive and not due to exercise.
Because your basal metabolism accounts for so many of the calories that you burn, if you can increase how fast it runs then you will burn more calories while you are just sitting around doing nothing and you will have an easier time losing weight.
Boosting your metabolism is a lot easier than you would think and doesn’t require a huge effort on your part. However, the pay off can be faster weight loss, improved fat burning and a healthier body. Here are 4 ways to boost your metabolism that will get you started on your way to a healthier, leaner body.
1. Add Some Lean Muscle to Your Body
The more lean muscle you have in your body the faster your metabolism runs. Adding some light weight or strength training to your workout to build lean muscle will help kick start your metabolism and get it running faster. Try doing strength training several times a week and focus on the large muscle groups in your body like your legs and backside to get the biggest metabolism boost.
2. Eat Enough Calories
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight is to cut their calorie intake way back. If you don’t consume enough calories your metabolism will slow down to compensate, making it harder to lose weight. Make sure you are eating enough calories to provide your body with energy to make it through the day and to keep your metabolism running quickly.
3. Eat Breakfast
If you skip breakfast it not only can leave you hungry and more likely to overindulge during the day, but it can actually decrease the speed at which your metabolism runs. If you go too long between meals your body starts to worry that you are starving and your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Eating a healthy breakfast gives your body the calories it need to stay energized and working right all day.
4. Eat Small, Frequent Meals
Eating more than 3 times a day can help to keep your metabolism running quickly and give it a boost. Now, of course you aren’t going to lose weight if you are eating huge, high calorie meals, but by eating many small meals at frequent intervals throughout the day you will get a metabolism boost and have an easier time losing weight.
Get a complete guide to how to boost your metabolism here
