How to Naturally Boost Your Metabolism for Weight Loss?

08/20/2024

Keep a Check on your Diet:

In order to increase your metabolism, you need to really understand the proper portions, healthy foods, and unhealthy food items. Thereafter, you have to gradually alter your diet and lifestyle and incorporate things that align with your goals. 

Studies have shown that vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins are essential for meals if you want to naturally boost your metabolism. Increasing protein intake will increase the feeling of fullness and preserve lean body mass.

Going with a Mediterranean diet could be the best option as it majorly focuses on healthy fats, grains, and plant-based foods.

The goal is not to stick to a diet which is hard to follow and may cause problems. Therefore, you shouldn’t reduce your calorie intake suddenly and too much, as this may trigger the body’s survival mode.

Level up your Water Game:

The primary component of a healthy lifestyle is staying hydrated all day. Water allows the body to function at its best without hassle, encouraging good mental and physical well-being. In addition, water is also vital for optimal metabolism, which, as a result, helps people to shed excess weight. Drinking water before or during meals can prevent unnecessary eating and suppress appetite, easing your weight loss journey. Several studies reveal that the more hydrated you are, the more your body can function effectively at every task, from exercising to solving critical problems.

A 2016 study examined 13 people's metabolic rates after consuming 250 to 500 ml of water. The researchers saw an increase in fat oxidation in people who consumed more than 500 ml of water. This study concluded that drinking water may possibly affect metabolism and help reduce excess weight.

Manage your Stress Level:

Studies reveal when people are stressed, they never lose weight. Whenever you are under stress, your body releases a stress hormone named cortisol, which hampers your weight loss journey. Also, certain people use food as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, which may increase your calorie intake. Therefore, you should find alternative techniques to address stress. There are many stress management techniques, such as yoga, deep breathing, medication, etc.

Chronic stress may contribute to an increase in appetite, weight, and food intake, as revealed by a study conducted in 2016. The authors of the study say that more intensive and profound resaerch is needed in order to know the effects of stress on metabolism.

Prioritize your Sleep:

Sleep deprivation can increase one's chances of developing obesity. Lack of sleep leads to raised cortisol levels, which activates the body to save up on the energy needed to tackle a sleep-deprived day. Being sleep-deprived also possesses the potential to affect your decision-making abilities.

Additionally, compromising sleep may interfere with the levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, which may change your eating patterns. On the other hand, it may also possibly affect the hormone leptin, which regulates fullness. 

Lack of sleep for four consecutive days or longer may slightly change the process of how the body metabolizes fat.  However, the difference is very minute, which can be easily restored by taking one good night’s sleep.

Increase your Protein Intake:

Consuming your daily meals may increase your metabolism temporarily for a few hours. This process is called the thermic effects of food, commonly known as TEF. It results from the additional calories needed for the nutrients in your food to be absorbed, processed, and digested.

Protein is also known for causing the largest surge in TEF. Mitigating the drop in metabolism, which is associated with fat loss, is also another benefit of increasing protein intake. This is because protein prevents muscle loss, which could be a side effect of dieting.

If you are trying to increase the metabolic rate by declining the calorie intake, perhaps this may lead to the desired results. However, changing the source of calories you consume via food could be a game changer. For instance, protein is a better option than fat or carbohydrates to promote the process of thermogenesis, a metabolic process wherein the body burns calories to generate heat.

A study conducted in 2019 included 38 people. Half of the participants followed a high-protein diet with around 25% of energy from protein, while others consumed a medium-protein diet with 15% of energy from protein. The study found that people who had a high-protein diet burned more energy than people who had a medium-protein diet. 

Stand more:

If you are in a job that promotes a sedentary lifestyle, this could be sad for your goals. Sitting much can lead to negative effects on your overall health as you burn fewer calories this way, which may also partially contribute to weight gain over time.

In order to reduce the chances of weight gain while sitting, you can either opt for a standing work desk or take breaks and walk around to break the length of time you exhaust while sitting.  

The findings of the 2018 study revealed that standing or walking at work was associated with lower CMR scores, body fat, weight, cholesterol, insulin, fasting triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, etc. Stepping instead of standing can lead to better and more fruitful results in lower systolic blood pressure and insulin resistance.

Conclusion:

If you aim to boost your metabolism, slight modifications in your lifestyle and what you eat can surely lead to drastic changes, streamlining your weight loss journey. However, if you are under any treatment, please consult your certified doctor before making changes to your lifestyle and diet. Ways such as taking up your water intake, mitigating stress, discouraging a sedentary lifestyle, etc., can help you boost your metabolism, which will assist you in losing weight faster than ever.  

FAQs:

1. How to speed up metabolism for weight loss?

There is a plethora of ways that can help you increase your metabolism for weight loss. If you are on a weight loss journey, including the following ways can be a game-changer: 

• Increase your protein intake

• Level up your calorie consumption

• Lift weight

• Consume green tea

• Stay hydrated

• Reduce stress

• Opt for proper sleep daily

2. What types of foods increase metabolism to lose weight?

Eating metabolism-boosting food is just a single piece of the weight loss puzzle. Including the following food items in your diet may help you boost your metabolism, which, as a result, enables you to cut off extra weight: 

• Lean meats

• Low-fat milk

• Broccoli

• Lentils

• Oatmeals

• Almonds

• Berries

• Tempeh

• water

3. How do I activate my fat-burning metabolism?

In order to activate your fat-burning metabolism, you will have to alter your lifestyle and eating patterns. Also, the following ways are considered the best to activate your fat-burning metabolism:

• Opt for a high-intensity workout

• Try to include protein in your every meal

• Try to hit the gym and lift heavy weight

• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle

• Level up your spice food intake

• Never compromise your night’s sleep

4. How to get a super-fast metabolism?

Getting a super-fast metabolism is not a piece of cake. Just to accomplish this, you will have to go above and beyond your regular lifestyle and eating patterns. You can have it by including the ways listed below: 

• Take a plant-based diet

• Try to build and retain muscles

• Cut back on processed food

• Avoid the calorie-restrictive diet

• Drink plenty of water daily