During the course of an average day, your body goes through a lot of involuntary processes. Examples of these are walking to the car, getting out of a chair, sleeping, breathing, thinking and digesting food. All of these actions are made possible by burning calories in the process of metabolism. When your metabolism is high, you can stay lean. When your metabolism is low, you are more likely to be overweight due to the slow rate that your body burns calories. To quickly speed up your metabolism, there are several steps you can take.
Step 1
Eat at the start of your day. When you come out of a long night's fast, your metabolism is slow. If you head out the door without eating anything, your metabolism will remain slow. To kick start it, eat a small meal as soon as you get up. It can from something like a bowl of oatmeal, scrambled egg whites, a granola bar or a cup of yogurt with some fruit.
Step 2
Eat more protein. Protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram, and fat has 9 calories. Of these three macronutrients, protein causes the highest thermic effect when you eat it. This means it takes the body more calories to break it down. Include in your diet lean sources of protein like chicken breasts, lean beef, fish, white meat turkey, low-fat dairy products and tofu.
Step 3
Stay away from foods that can defeat your efforts. Foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat can slow your metabolism down and you should avoid them. Examples of these are cakes, cookies, doughnuts, white bread, deep fried foods, fast food, candy and alcohol.
Step 4
Eat more often. Every time you eat a meal, your body burns calories to digest the food. When you eat a large meal and don't eat again for several hours, your metabolism slows down. To crank it up, eat a small meal every two to three hours throughout the day. Make sure each meal has lean protein and complex carbs. An example would be baked halibut with a yam and steamed asparagus.
Step 5
Build more muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active tissue. To increase it, do exercises that target your whole body like chest presses, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, triceps extensions, biceps curls and squats. Do a few sets of 12 to 15 reps, and work out 3 times a week on alternating days.
Step 6
Do high-intensity cardiovascular training. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of cardiovascular training that is very intense. Regular cardio can efficiently burn calories, but this type of training can also boost your metabolism for hours after you are done. Sprint intervals are an example of HIIT. To do these, start with a 5- to 10-minute warm-up at a light intensity. Sprint all out for 30 seconds, then come down to a light pace for 60 seconds. Alternate back and forth 12 to 15 times and finish with a 5 to 10 minute cool-down at a light intensity. Do HIIT three times a week on the alternating days of your weight training.
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