10 Ways to Speed Up Your Metabolism and Drop Pounds Fast
With the right strategy, you can speed up your metabolism, lose weight faster and get back to your healthy self in no time at all. These 10 ways to speed up your metabolism will get you started on the road to weight loss and better health today!
1) Exercise
If you’re trying to lose weight, exercise is a must. Not only does it make your body work harder than other calorie-burning activities, but it actually puts your metabolism into overdrive, burning even more calories in short amounts of time. An easy rule of thumb: Try not to exercise for more than an hour at a time. A longer workout will put your body through too much of a strain and you’ll burn fewer calories in exchange for all that effort. If you can split up your workout throughout the day by doing things like taking your dog on walks or parking farther away from stores when you go shopping, though, go ahead!
2) Eat breakfast
You know how you've heard it a million times before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you skip out on breakfast, you're putting your body into starvation mode, which can lead to an even slower metabolism. On top of that, people who eat breakfast are more successful at losing weight long-term than those who don't, according to research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Why? Likely because when you eat breakfast, it keeps your metabolism revved up so that when lunchtime rolls around (or any other time you decide to stop eating), your body isn't in starvation mode and is more likely to burn calories instead of storing them.
3) Drink water
Drinking water can be one of the easiest ways to speed up your metabolism. For starters, it helps keep you hydrated. When you are well-hydrated, your body will metabolize calories more efficiently (waterworks like a natural diuretic). Also, drinking water early in your day can help flush toxins from your body throughout the day—which will not only help speed up metabolism but also give you clearer skin! A good rule of thumb is to drink half your weight in ounces every day. Not sure what that number is? Find out by taking a quick online BMR calculator. Drinking enough water should lead to two or three trips to pee per day at least; aim for around eight glasses a day if you're on a 1,200-calorie diet.
4) Get enough sleep
The time you spend snoozing impacts your metabolism in several important ways. Sleep helps protect lean muscle tissue by promoting muscle growth and regeneration. In fact, a study published in February 2011 in The Journal of Applied Physiology found that people who averaged only 5.5 hours of shut-eye a night had more than twice as much fat around their bellies than those who slept at least 8 hours every night. Why? Likely because sleep deprivation encourages an increase in hunger pangs, according to study co-author Pieter Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of research at the Institute for Human Nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
5) Use your stairs
You don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment to build muscle, although they can help. If you’re determined, you can get in shape by doing push-ups, pull-ups, and squats on your own. Start with one set of eight repetitions for each exercise, three days a week. Do two more sets if you feel up to it and try adding one more day a week. You’ll be surprised at how fast you start seeing changes.
6) Lift weights
Exercising regularly is a great way to boost your metabolism. Resistance training builds muscle mass, which in turn helps you burn more calories on a daily basis. This is one of many reasons why resistance training should be an integral part of any weight loss plan, especially for women. Since muscle burns calories at a higher rate than fat, it can help you trim down faster.
7) Remove processed foods from your diet
Fiber is a nutrient that has several weight-loss benefits. It helps you feel full, speeds up your metabolism, and reduces your appetite. Insoluble fiber—the kind found in whole-wheat products, vegetables, and beans—aids weight loss by helping you to feel fuller faster, thus controlling your intake of calories. Soluble fiber—found in oats, nuts, and beans—reduces hunger pangs by slowing down digestion. By adding both types of fiber to your diet regularly, you can speed up weight loss. Fiber also plays an important role in healthy bowel movements. Studies have shown that high-fiber diets are associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer due to slower tumor growth.
8) Shop at farmers' markets and grocery stores that have healthier options
Farmers' markets may be a good choice if you live in an area where they’re held. They usually carry more fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables—and are cheaper than grocery stores. When shopping there, be sure to read food labels: If a produce item isn’t 100% organic or wasn’t grown locally, steer clear of it. Also, keep in mind that some fresh food is seasonal; look for items that are native to your climate and your region. Farmers' markets are good for pantry staples like nuts and dried fruits too; buy these in bulk as needed when prices drop at various points throughout the year. And beware of meat from farms outside your area; research how often those facilities were inspected by federal agencies.
9) Add more fiber to your diet
Just as you might eat more of something that tastes great, you're likely to drink more water if it's conveniently available. Water is calorie-free, so drink up! Research shows that women who drink more water have a reduced risk for dehydration, constipation, and headaches. While tap water is generally safe to drink (there are exceptions), some people don't like how it tastes or don't trust public systems. If you fall into that category, try a home filtration system. You can find one with an adjustable carbon filter on Amazon for around $40. It's not clear whether alkaline filters deliver on their promises of reducing acidity in your urine from too much protein in your diet.
10) Eat more fruit and vegetables
If you’re not getting enough fruit and veg, your body may not be getting all of its vitamins. If you don't eat enough of these foods, your body can become vitamin-deficient which can lead to slower metabolism, says health expert Megan Pigott. And we all know what that means: no energy, cravings for sweet stuff, tiredness... Not a good look! In fact, research published in Nutrition Journal found that eating more high-fiber foods (like fruit or veggie-packed smoothies) at breakfast had 100 percent more filling power than cereal.