Metabolism can be defined as the sum of all energy-releasing processes that occur within the cells and tissues of the human body that can be measured as energy expenditure. These processes include food and nutrient digestion, waste elimination through urine and feces, breathing, blood circulation, body temperature control, muscle contraction, and brain and nerve function. The speeding up of the metabolic process with regard to weight loss is directly related to calorie intake and caloric expenditure. The key to accelerating metabolism in order to encourage fat loss is to develop an energy imbalance, meaning more calories are being burned for energy than are being taken in or stored.
Step 1
Eat five to six smaller meals in three- to four-hour increments throughout the day. The biggest misconception regarding weight loss is extreme calorie restriction. It is counter-intuitive to believe that not eating will increase weight reduction. On the contrary, not eating or not fueling the body slows the rate of metabolism. The body's starvation defense mechanism is triggered and more fat is stored, while components of lean body mass are used instead for energy. This happens because fat provides the body with more calories or energy per gram than do carbohydrates and proteins. Thus, if the body is being starved, fat is stored to ensure survival. Frequent energy intake via diet ensures that the body is not being starved and fat is more readily released as a source of energy.
Step 2
Increase your physical activity level. Perform bouts of cardiovascular exercise four to seven days per week for at least 30 minutes. Nothing increases the onset of a negative energy balance more efficiently than an increase in activity. All movement requires energy. Energy is even expended to maintain proper posture when sitting or standing. An increase in physical activity with little or no change in diet can show positive benefits in creating energy imbalance.
Step 3
Perform muscle-building, resistance exercises two to three times per week. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a measure of the metabolism while the body is at rest. Essentially, the more lean body mass you have, the higher your BMR. Consequently, more calories are burned and more weight is lost. Lean body mass increases the rate of metabolism as it is easier to conduct the aforementioned metabolic processes in areas with predominantly lean tissue as opposed to adipose, or fat tissue. Exercising with weights that progressively challenge the muscles increases lean body mass.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose foods from low-fat sources. Avoid sugary foods. The higher the sugar content, the more rapidly insulin is secreted to remove excess sugar from the bloodstream. The sugar is converted into fat in the liver and gets stored in adipose tissue. Whenever you eat carbohydrates, do so with a protein. Protein assists with the breakdown and uptake of carbs into the digestive system, reducing the potential for excess carbs to be stored as fat. Drink plenty of water.
References
- Nancy Clark's Sport Nutrition Guidebook, Third Ed.; Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D.; 2003
- Sports and Fitness Nutrition; Robert E.C. Wildman and Barry S. Miller; 2004
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