Rev up your metabolism and watch your weight go down. Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories for use as energy. Weight loss is based on the simple premise of burning more calories than you consume, but in reality dieting is anything but easy. Give yourself an edge by boosting your metabolism to burn more calories and lose weight faster.
Build Muscle
You don't have to look like a bodybuilder to take advantage of the metabolism-boosting benefits of building muscle. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, so it burns calories around the clock, even when you're resting. For every pound of muscle, the body burns seven to 10 calories more per day. For even more of a metabolic boost, do strength training that works large muscle groups, such as push-ups, pull-ups and squats. These exercises burn more calories both during exercise and immediately after, according to the American Council on Exercise.
Drink Water
Metabolism can slow down due to dehydration, even if it's mild. To stay hydrated and keep your metabolism humming, drink eight glasses of water every day. Have a glass before each meal and at regular intervals. Snack on fruits and vegetables to help keep hydrated, too -- they're filled with water, not to mention low in calories and high in fiber, which can also help you shed unwanted pounds.
Sip Green Tea
Sip green tea to tune up your metabolism. The combination of caffeine and antioxidants in green tea was found to increase both metabolism and fat burning in a study published in the November 2000 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Add Chili Peppers
Add chili peppers to your food to burn more calories. The active ingredient in chile peppers, capsaicin, gives them spicy hotness and the ability to boost metabolism for a short while after you eat them.
Eat Often
Keep your metabolism going by eating every three to four hours. When you wait too long between meals and snacks, your metabolism slows down in an effort to conserve energy. Avoid crash diets, which burn muscle tissue along with fat. With less muscle your metabolism will slow, making it harder to lose pounds and easier to gain them.
Drink Coffee
Give your metabolism a jolt with black coffee. The caffeine in coffee not only increases alertness and energy, it also boosts the amount of calories burned for a few hours afterward. Avoid cream, sugar and fancy coffee drinks, though -- you'll consume more calories than you burn.
References
- American Council on Exercise: How Can I Get Rid of Belly Fat?
- RxList: Weight Loss Pictures Slideshow: 10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans; A.G. Dulloo, et al; November 2000
- The Medical News: New Understanding on How Chile Peppers Increase Metabolism and Body Temperature
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