You’ve probably done everything you can to lose weight – fad diets, workout routines and somehow, it still seems like nothing is happening to your body. Somehow, amidst your frustration, you always hear the word “metabolism” and how it’s very important if you want to lose weight and achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of.
But what exactly is metabolism and how does it help you shed off the fat? Scientifically, metabolism refers to the chemical reactions in your body. It talks about the total of all the energy transformations in relation to every chemical reaction that happens inside your body. Simply put, it’s like you have a trainer working inside your body to help burn off the fat and calories.
Every time your body ingest food, the enzymes found in the cells of your bodies break down the food, which in turn is transformed into energy that fuels the body’s numerous activities such as thinking, working out and even the beating of your heart.
More calories are burned the faster your metabolism is. Of course, the more your burn, then the faster you shed of those extra pounds that you have been wanting to get rid of. The good thing with your metabolism is that you could push it to work hard so you burn more calories.
Of course, your metabolism is influence by your genetics as well as your gender. But this should not make you lose hope. To some degree, you still have some control on your metabolism. While you may not be able to increase the way your heart beats and the way your brain thinks to use more energy and burn those calories, you could encourage it to burn more by doing exercises that keeps your heart rate up and eating the right kind of food.
Here are some tips you could try to push your metabolism into overdrive and shed off those extra pounds.
Eat The Right Kind Of Breakfast
And this should be done every single day. That could not be emphasized more than enough. When you skip this meal, your body switches on the starvation mode and it sends signals to your metabolism to slow down so that you conserve energy to help you through the day. Aside from that, it’s also not just important that you eat breakfast. The kind of food you eat also matters. Studies have shown that getting 20 to 50 percent of your daily caloric need during breakfast helps people gain weight slowly.
It is recommended that you eat food that leaves you full longer and digests slowly. Examples are oats, lean protein and ample amount of complex carbohydrates. Wash your meal down with a nice cup of coffee to help increase heart rate and breathing as well.
Choose The Right Kind Of Protein For Every Meal
Having a serving of protein for every meal is a good way to tone and build up muscle mass. Muscles burn more calories than fat, so it’s best to have at least 30 grams of lean protein every meal. You could trade in your pork for turkey or chicken breast minus the skin. If you’re vegan or into Paleo diet, another option to get your protein is through tofu and soya.
Switch To Interval Training
Want to burn more for a shorter period of time? Then increase the intensity of your workout so you torch more calories in a lesser period of time. Studies have shown that bursts of speed in a shorter workout are more effective in burning more calories than a longer period of low intensity exercise. When at the gym, why not trade your 40 minutes of slow spinning with 20 minutes of interval pedaling – 12 seconds of normal pedaling and then eight seconds of sprints to help your body burn more.
Also, consider adding weights to your cardio exercises as weights help tone fat into muscles so that your body burns more than the usual.
Sleep Early
Researches have shown that those who get fewer than 7.5 hours of sleep a night is more prone to gaining weight. So head on to bed early to help you prepare for the next day.
