Your body burns calories doing basic things like breathing, pumping your heart and running your circulatory and digestive systems. According to the Weight Loss Resources website, eating and digesting food burns up to 10 percent of those basic calories. By eating frequently, you're forcing your body to burn more calories simply by having to deal with digestion over and over throughout the day.
Step 1
Start the day with breakfast. According to licensed practical nurse Laurie Hedlund in an article for Consumer Affairs, this is important because your body has gone without food throughout the night and your metabolism is working slower because of it. A balanced breakfast of lean proteins, whole grains and fruits or veggies will give you a good start. An example is scrambled eggs with chopped veggies and a slice of whole-wheat toast.
Step 2
Eat small meals. Since you'll be eating frequently, your meals should be smaller. Try to start by splitting the amount you normally eat at breakfast, lunch and dinner into six to eight smaller meals. You can then start to cut down the amounts if it feels like you're eating too much or you're too full to eat again.
Step 3
Aim to eat every two to three hours. According to fitness site FitBuff, this is the optimal time frame to help speed up your metabolism and keep it running at its optimal speed. Try not to skip meals, as this will affect the cycle.
Step 4
Try to include protein and fiber in each mini-meal. Protein speeds up your metabolism, according to Hedlund, and fiber fills you up so you end up eating less but feeling full nonetheless. Foods rich in fiber includes fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Step 5
Drink a glass of water with each meal. Not only will this help you feel even fuller, but it will also make it easier to get the recommended eight glasses a day without even realizing it.
Member Comments