Metabolism is the way in which your body uses calories for energy. If your metabolism is sluggish due to eating habits, inactivity, medications or medical conditions, you may find yourself gaining weight. This slowing of your metabolism can also cause you to gain weight when you eat less calories than you did previously, and this can add to your frustration. Dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic explains that a combination of healthier eating habits and increased physical activity is the best way to increase the rate at which your body burns calories.
Emphasize Nutrient-Dense Foods
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making fundamental changes to eat healthier, more nutrient-dense foods doesn't have to lack appeal or variety. Instead, gradually replace highly processed, nutrient-poor convenience foods in your present diet with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meats. These foods have fewer calories than their processed versions but contain more nutrition per calorie. Consequently, you'll be able to meet your nutritional needs without adding calories and you will lose the fat.
Eat Fewer Calories
Eating fewer calories can help you lose weight by forcing your body to use its fat stores as energy. An easy way to decrease the number of calories you consume, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is to eat foods that are naturally high in dietary fiber. Fiber helps to fill your stomach by expanding when it comes in contact with water. As a result of eating higher fiber foods, you'll feel full sooner than when you consume foods that don't contain fiber. Naturally, you'll eat less food and fewer calories without feeling hungry.
Consume Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Eating smaller portions at each meal but doing so more frequently can help keep blood sugar levels more stable so you're less likely to succumb to ravenous hunger. Eating more often can also help keep your energy levels at a steady pace, which includes your metabolic rate. According to dietician Alice Henneman of the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, if you're eating out, an easy way to reduce the size of your meal is to order the smallest portion size possible. In some cases, this can equal the kid's version of an adult meal, but provides enough calories and nutrition to feed a healthy adult.
Drink Enough Water
Water is necessary for your body's most basic functioning, including metabolism. If you are even mildly dehydrated, you can lack enough energy to be physically active in a way that can boost your metabolism. According to Hall Health Primary Care, a good way to identify whether you're drinking enough water is to check the color of your urine. Darker yellow indicates that you need to drink more water because your urine has become concentrated. Thirst is a poor indicator of dehydration, however, because it tends to occur when you are already in the midst of mild dehydration.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Metabolism: What's The Best Way To Boost It?
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cutting Calories
- University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension: Eat Smart: How to Fill Up, Not Out!
- Hall Health Primary Care Center: Hydration and Health
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