Even if you have a vague understanding of dieting and metabolism, you probably know that having a fast metabolism, or fast metabolic rate, is beneficial to your weight loss goals. Still, you might not know how to naturally increase your metabolism. There are several steps you can take, including eating more often, that can help you increase your metabolism and the rate at which you burn calories. Consult your health care provider before you make drastic changes to your lifestyle or dietary habits.
Eating More Often
According to Penn State University, if you eat smaller meals more often instead of larger meals less often, you will increase your metabolism. When you eat, you activate your metabolism to process the food that you consume. You might have to abandon the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner approach to dieting. Penn State University suggests that you aim for five or six smaller meals instead of the regular three. You should eat at least every three hours. After three hours of not eating, you metabolism begins to slow down. If you are trying to maintain your weight or lose weight, you need to have your metabolism going as fast and often as possible.
Breakfast is Important
Eating breakfast is particularly important to achieving your optimal metabolic rate. When you are sleeping, your heart rate, breathing, energy requirements and metabolism slow down. It is very important to eat breakfast to jump start your metabolism and provide your body with the fuel and nutrients it needs for the day. If you skip breakfast, especially on a regular basis, your metabolism slows down and might never reach optimal levels during the day. Health Services at Columbia University recommends eating a breakfast that is between 350 and 500 calories. Most of your meals can fall within this caloric range if you are eating several times a day.
Other Dietary Measures
Penn State University recommends other dietary changes that can help you improve your metabolism. First, make sure you are getting enough calories. For most people, eating less than 1,200 calories a day puts their body in starvation mode and will decrease their metabolic rate. Second, increasing your protein consumption also can increase your metabolism. Protein requires 25 percent more energy to digest than carbohydrates or fat. Third, make sure you are staying hydrated by drinking at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day. No matter how often you eat, if you are dehydrated your metabolism will not be able to reach its full potential.
Basics of Weight Loss
While eating more frequent is ideal for encouraging your optimal metabolic rate, don't forget that weight loss ultimately comes down to your overall caloric intake. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Speeding up your metabolism will increase the amount of calories you burn while at rest but you still must create a caloric deficit if you want to lose weight. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have any questions or have tried to lose weight with diet and exercise and been unsuccessful.
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