Your metabolic rate helps determine your body-fat percentage. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn for energy. The slower your metabolism, the fewer calories you burn and the more you store as fat. Although your metabolic rate hinges in large part on factors such as genetics and your level of exercise, you can also diet in a way that gives your metabolism a boost. Such a diet is not all that different from any healthy diet.
Step 1
Stock up on foods that, according to studies, trigger an uptick in your metabolism. These foods include leafy vegetables, low glycemic fruits such as berries and citrus, non-fat dairy products such as cottage cheese and yogurt, salmon, lean cuts of meat and poultry, whole-grain bread and legumes such as beans and lentils. Unsalted nuts, olive oil, avocado, sweet potatoes and brown rice as worthwhile foods.
Step 2
Eat breakfast first thing in the morning. As you sleep, your body goes into fasting mode, during which your metabolism slows down to preserve as many calories as possible. Get some healthy food, such as whole-grain cereal and a veggie omelette, into your system to get out of fasting mode.
Step 3
Spread your food consumption throughout the day. Eat five or six smaller meals instead of merely having coffee in the morning and then big meals at lunch and dinner. Eat frequently, especially healthier foods, to keep your metabolism churning and allow yourself to digest food better by eating less at a time.
Step 4
Eat dinner at least four hours before you go to bed and your last snack of the day two hours before turning in. Your metabolism naturally slows down as you approach the end of your day, meaning the later it gets, the harder time you will have burning large numbers of calories and not storing them as fat.
Step 5
Drink water constantly to feel more full throughout the day, which makes you less likely to overeat, and to wash away some of the toxins and waste that prevent your digestive system from functioning well. Consume at least eight full glasses of water a day.
Step 6
Pass up most foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar while still allowing yourself to consume a fairly typical number of calories for someone of your age and weight. Continue to eat in roughly normal quantities to ensure you get the nutrients you need and to reduce cravings, as well as to prevent your body from going into starvation mode. In that state, which happens when you do not eat enough, your metabolism slows down as your body works to retain calories.
Tips and Warnings
- Complement your diet with an exercise program that will help you burn more calories and further speed up your metabolism. The best metabolism-boosting exercise programs have an aerobic component, such as running or swimming, and an anaerobic component such as weight training.
- Always speak with your doctor before starting any new diet or exercise program.
Member Comments