Metabolism is one of those words that we hear often, usually in the context of "I can't lose weight because I have slow metabolism." It is definitely true that you cannot lose weight if you have slow metabolism. What people do not know is that you are completely in charge of your metabolism.
Sure, metabolism depends on genetics, but there are ways to increase your metabolism and turn your body into a fat-burning machine! Changing your diet and changing your workout are the two best ways to increase your metabolism. There are many prescription drugs on the market that boast a result of higher metabolism, but changing or modifying your diet and workout plan can increase your metabolism without any side effects.
Your body works like a machine; food is fuel, and anything left over is stored in case it is needed later. Your body has a basal metabolic rate, or BMR, that covers body functions like heartbeat, breathing, and maintaining body temperature. The BMR is basically your metabolism at "rest." Food is needed to maintain your body functions, and anything consumed after that is stored, usually as fat. By changing your diet and modifying your workout, you can increase your metabolism to burn more at rest, or raise your BMR.
Here are some ways to increase your metabolism:
Diet
Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast is one of the most important things you can do to increase your metabolism. The food you consume at breakfast kick starts your metabolism so your body starts burning calories first thing in the morning. If you choose to skip breakfast or skip any meals, for that matter, your metabolism will slow down and all the food you eat will be stored as fat instead of burned off.
Focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Your body uses more energy to digest these foods than others, keeping your metabolism up throughout the day. For a morning snack, eat some grapes - for an afternoon snack, eat some carrots. These foods will keep your body working long after you are done eating!
Increase your water intake. Your bodily functions depend on water - with no water in your system, your bodily functions slow down, thus slowing down your metabolism.
Eat more spicy foods. Spicy foods can increase your metabolism; adding a few peppers to a pizza or salad will make a big difference.
Modifying Your Workout
Aerobic exercise is very important. A high-intensity workout is even better, because that will allow for calories to be burned after your workout. Any workout will increase your metabolism for a set amount of time, but a high-intensity workout will create a longer burn after your workout.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when talking about metabolism is that lean muscle is the key to increasing it. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so increasing the amount of muscle on your body will increase your BMR. Adding strength training or weight training to your workout will help you develop that lean muscle in no time.
By changing your diet and modifying or adding to your workout, you can increase your metabolism so your body becomes more of a fat-burning machine than it ever was. Increasing your metabolism is as easy as tweaking diets and workouts - an added bonus is that you will have more energy to do the other things you love!
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