How To Boost Your Metabolism To Lose More Fat

Your metabolism will help you lose more fat if it is working at its best. It is the process by which your body converts what you consume into energy. The units of energy are calories/kilojoules which is found in all that you consume. You must be in a calorie deficit and burn more calories than you consume when you want to lose fat. What your metabolism does in your body is ensure that enough food and drinks is converted into energy for your body to perform its daily functions.

How Your Metabolism Works And What Slows It Down

The rate at which your body converts food and drinks into energy at rest is its Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your metabolism is different from anyone else’s because it is based on the following factors:

1. Genetics
2. Age
3. Height
4. Weight
5. Sex
6. Muscle mass
7. Activity levels
8. Hormones

The older you are, the slower your metabolism becomes because your lifestyle changes and you become less active. The bigger you are and the more muscle you have will make you burn more calories because more energy is required to maintain your body. This doesn’t mean that you will be thinner though, but you should lose more fat. Males tend to use more energy than females because they are generally bigger and have more muscle mass. The more you exercise, the more calories you will burn because you use more energy.

When you get older, your body cells are changing, activity levels reducing and you lose more muscle mass while relatively keeping the same amount or increasing your food intake, the more you find yourself in the “slowing down metabolism” dilemma. The rate at which your body breaks down food slows down because your lifestyle changes so gradually that you don’t notice until you’ve gained fat and weight.

Your hormones are always fluctuating and with stress, the release of cortisol (stress hormone), your body goes into fight or flight. It will try to keep as much energy from the reserves in your body and this temporarily slows down metabolism. All of the above are the common reasons why your metabolism changes.

How To Boost Your Metabolism To Lose More Fat

1. Build Muscle

The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. Your muscles are constantly contracting and relaxing, so the more muscle you have, the more this process occurs. It requires more energy for the body to maintain those muscles and keep them working at their best. Incorporating strength training exercises into your fitness routine will help you build muscle and boost your metabolism.

2. Stay Hydrated

The effects of how drinking water increases the amount of energy your body exerts have been studied. The process is called thermogenesis and it’s when your body generates heat because of the food and drinks that you consume which is in relation to your metabolism. Water stimulates this process in some tissues of your body, which increases your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Aim to drink at least 2 litres of water per day to ensure that you’re consistently promoting this process in your body.

3. Eat More Protein

Protein requires more energy to digest than fat or carbohydrates, which means that consuming more protein will help boost your metabolism to lose more fat. Include protein-rich foods such as lean meats, fish, eggs, and beans in your diet. Protein also helps suppress your appetite to promote less calories being consumed overall, which will help with fat loss.

4. Be Active

Regular physical activity will help boost your metabolism because of increased activity of your body’s cells. Cardio and strength training have their benefits with cardio boosting your heart and lung activity while strength training will help you build more muscle which you see the benefits of above. Aim for at least 30 minutes of regular activity per day, such as brisk walking, jogging, or cycling and at least three days of focused exercise in the gym lifting weights.

5. Avoid Crash Diets

A crash diet is when you drastically decrease or restrict your calories and it is usually a short-term solution for weight loss. The problem with this “diet” is that you reduce your calories so low that your body adapts by slowing down your metabolism. In essence, your body reduces the rate at which it converts what you consume into energy to survive the “diet”. You must aim for a gradual and sustainable fat loss by making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle.

What Happens When Metabolism Is High?

When your metabolism is high, your body is able to convert the food and drinks you consume into energy at a faster rate than someone with a slow metabolism. This is how you see people that are able to eat a lot without gaining much weight. The thing is, as you get older, your habits and lifestyle changes lead to you becoming less active and your body’s energy requirements decrease, which decreases your metabolism.

You will gain more fat if you continue to eat as much as you did before while your metabolism decreases. It is important to track your activity and your calorie intake to know how much you require to maintain your weight or lose fat.

Which Metabolism Is Better To Lose More Fat?

The faster your metabolism, the faster your body is able to convert what you consume into energy. Your body is able to burn more calories at rest which is ideal when you want to lose fat. It will not be the main reason you gain more fat as you age though, as it actually plays a minor role. Your diet and activity levels plays the greatest role on whether you gain or lose fat. Focus on a balanced and healthy lifestyle which you can control and not what you can’t control.

Why Your Metabolism Is Important

The process by which your body converts food and drinks into energy is what helps your body sustain its basic function. When you are body is at rest, it is called the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and it is the amount of energy required for your body to do the following:

1. Breathe.
2. Circulating blood
3. Digesting food
4. Growing and repairing body cells
5. Managing hormone levels
6. Regulating body temperature

Your body’s ability to do this involuntarily is a result of the energy it receives from all that you consume and as you can tell, these are all the basic functions that will help you survive. So, when you boost your metabolism you will not only lose fat, but also be ensuring your body is converting what you consume into energy at its best.