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We all know those people who can eat anything they want and never seem to gain an ounce. While some people are born with a high metabolic rate, for others, there are ways you can boost your metabolism. Here are 5.
The rate at which you burn calories while at rest is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Unfortunately, there is no way to change your BMR, which is determined and set by your sex at birth, age, and genetic makeup,
according to Dr. Nancy Rahnama, US News reported.
However, there are things that can be done to optimize it. Here are five tips for boosting your metabolism.
Drinking water, especially first thing in the morning after you wake, can temporarily speed up your metabolism, several studies have found. Studies have found that drinking 17 ounces of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour, healthline reported. Drinking cold water may enhance the calorie-burning effect, as the body uses energy to heat the water to body temperature.
Although not proven conclusively, numerous studies have suggested green tea (and others say even black tea and black coffee) can boost metabolism because they contain caffeine. According to Web MD, research suggests drinking 2-4 cups of green tea can push the body to burn 17% more calories during a moderately intense exercise.
Many people mistakenly believe the road to losing weight is to cut out proteins, especially meats. However, eating protein has multiple benefits. First, protein makes you feel fuller and longer, so you eat less. One study found people ate 441 fewer calories per day when protein made up 30% of their diet.
In terms of metabolism, the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process proteins create the thermic effect of food (TEF). This increases your metabolic rate by 15-30% when digesting protein, compared to 5-10% for carbs and 0-3% for fats, healthline reports.
Perform exercises that work your muscles either by lifting weights or heavy stuff, using resistance bands, or some other type of exercises that forces you to use (and build) your muscles.
Muscle tissue burns calories, even at rest. Simply put, the more muscles, the more calories you will burn. Therefore, having less muscle decreases your calorie needs by reducing your basal metabolic rate, according to the Mayo Clinic. That means you will tend to store more calories.
Whole grains can have positive effects on your resting metabolic rate. A common dietary mistake is eliminating carbohydrates for weight loss or eating the wrong kind of carbs. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who ate a diet with whole grains, which matched the recommended dietary intake for fiber, lost nearly an extra 100 calories per day due to increased metabolic rate and greater fecal losses US News reported.
