When it comes to weight loss, there is no shortage of programs and products that claim to boost metabolism and help shed unwanted pounds. There are techniques to make weight loss more successful, but there are no magic foods that burn fat or elevate metabolism. Successful weight loss involves making healthy food choices, controlling portion sizes and not skipping meals.
Identification
The term metabolism refers to the chemical reactions that convert food into energy or fuel. Fueling metabolism accounts for 60 to 75 percent of the calories burned every day. Calories are burned off even while resting to help support breathing, circulation, body temperature, muscle contractions, digestion, elimination, nerve conduction and many other functions. The speed of an individual's metabolism is inherited; however, certain factors can affect it, including age, body weight and lifestyle choices. Certain diseases -- such as an under-active thyroid -- can slow metabolism as well. But when it comes to diet and metabolism, the bottom line is that it is necessary to control caloric intake of all types of food, because weight gain is usually the result of eating more calories than are burned off, not a slow metabolism, according the Cleveland Clinic.
Considerations
To help improve metabolism with diet, focus on when food is consumed versus the type of food that is eaten. Skipping meals or severely restricting calorie intake will cause metabolism to slow down to conserve energy, because the body does not know when the next meal is coming. Eating five to six small meals a day is better, because eating regularly scheduled meals -- especially breakfast -- will help to keep hormone levels stable and boost metabolism. Individuals who eat a healthy breakfast everyday tend to weigh less than those who skip it. In addition, they get most of the daily allowance of calories during the day when activity levels are higher and the body needs the fuel. Eating a big meal at night, or snacking later on when sedentary, means that all of those calories get stored instead of burned off.
High Fiber Foods
It is rare that weight gain is solely due to a slow metabolism; reaching a healthy weight means creating a caloric deficit no matter what type of food is eaten, reports MayoClinic.com. Eating too many calories of healthy foods will eventually pack on the pounds. Instead of focusing on speeding metabolism, focus on eating foods that are healthy, low in calories and that will help the body feel full. Getting most of the daily allowance of calories from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, will add fiber into the diet. Fiber takes a long time to digest, so it keeps the body feeling full and satisfied, which in turn can lead to eating fewer calories. Developing healthy eating habits that last a lifetime is the best way to achieve successful long-term weight loss.
Solution
While diet does not play a large role in changing the metabolic rate, exercise does. The American Council on Exercise recommends participating in high-intensity aerobic-type activities, which will not only boost metabolism during the workout, but leaves metabolism elevated for hours after you're done working out. In addition, a strength-training program that works each major muscle group to fatigue two to three days a week also boosts metabolism. Muscles require more energy to survive than fat does, so making the muscles stronger means a higher metabolism, even at rest. Combining exercise with controlling calories is a sure-fire way to speed metabolism and shed extra pounds.
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