When it comes to weight loss, a strong metabolism is the key to not only reaching your goals, but also to reaching them in record time. Sadly, many diets and weight loss programs have the opposite effect and wind up lowering your body’s ability to burn calories, making your journey to your ideal weight much harder than it has to be. So, if you struggle with losing weight or don’t feel like the numbers are reducing as quickly as you’d like, here are nine effective actions you can take that will put your metabolism (and your weight loss) in higher gear:
Eat more often
Your metabolism speeds up after you eat in an effort to digest food and turn it into energy. Therefore, eating more often can raise your metabolism and speed up your weight loss. However, to avoid packing on the pounds, you want these meals to be smaller in size and calories.
Increase your protein intake
Eating foods high in protein helps spike your metabolism too, so consider consuming more lean meats, beans, nuts, and other high-protein foods. Ideally, you want to consume some sort of protein at every mini-meal.
Choose spicy foods
Another way to boost your metabolism is to eat foods that contain hot spices, like chili peppers and hot mustard. As a bonus, some studies have found that eating “hot” foods also makes you feel fuller faster, which means that you’ll likely eat less as a result.
Get more vitamin D
Many studies have connected higher levels of vitamin D with increased weight loss, so getting more of this one nutrient can help speed up the process. You can find it in low-fat dairy products, but spending a few minutes a day in the direct sunlight also does the trick.
Have that cup of morning coffee
You know that energy you feel after sipping on your morning cup of coffee? That’s your metabolism going into higher gear thanks to the caffeine. Be careful that you don’t overdo it though as drinking too much can give you the jitters.
Drink more water
Dehydrated cells and organs don’t function as well as they should, leaving your metabolism lower than it could be if you’re not fully hydrated. Water is best, but you can also increase your hydration levels by consuming other beverages too. Just make sure they don’t have high calorie or sugar levels. (This suggestion works especially well for college students who hope to avoid the Freshman 15!)
Get more active
While what you put in your body via food and drink can definitely impact your metabolism, so too can your level of movement. Remember that the more active you are every day, the higher your metabolism goes. So, aim to move around more and you’ll burn more calories at a faster rate.
Consume green tea
Green tea is a great weight loss aid as not only does it boost your metabolism, but it also helps protect your body against disease. How much should you drink daily for positive effects? According to health experts, 2-3 cups a day should do the trick.
Sleep
You can even increase your metabolism while sleeping, which is welcome news to those of us who walk around tired all of the time. How? By lowering the temperature of your bedroom at nighttime and getting ample sleep regularly so you have more energy during the day. Do these nine things and get your metabolism working for you so you reach your weight loss goals quicker than ever
Today’s blog is written by our guest blogger, Shelly Stinson. Shelly is freelance writer based out of Denver, CO. Her interests include healthy living, being active outdoors and trying new restaurants.
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