Drink Cold Water
This is one small way to increase your metabolism. Your body will burn calories raising the temperature of the water. Combining this strategy as part of an overall plan will impact your metabolism.Don’t Eliminate Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates have gotten a bad name, when in truth the only carbohydrates to eliminate are processed carbs. By consuming the right carbs, such as whole wheat and grains, legumes and beans, you will increase your metabolism. These high fiber and low-glycemic carbs increase metabolism by making the body work harder. The body will use more calories breaking down the right carbs than processed carbs.
Some things add up
Look for small ways to add in more activity. Park your car at the end of the parking lot at work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up from your desk every hour for 5-10 minutes and walk around your office or to the water cooler. At the end of the day all of these extra activities will add up for a higher calorie burn. Plus, increasing your activity level throughout the day will keep your metabolism elevated as well.Increase Protein
Your body expends a lot of energy to break down protein. In fact, 30% of the calories found in a serving of protein will be used converting it to energy. So if you consume 100 protein calories, your body will use 30 of those calories to process it. Thus, you will increase your metabolism by increasing the proportion of protein in your diet.Perform High Intensity Cardio
High intensity cardio-activity performed for a long amount of time will create an anaerobic state, and oxygen debt in your body. This anaerobic state lasts well after you cease the activity, thus increasing your metabolism.Do Weight Training
Weight training turns fat into muscle. Muscle burns more calories in activity or rest, which in turn increases your metabolism. Studies show that after weight training, a person’s exercise post oxygen consumption, EPOC, is increased for hours or days. Fat burning enzymes and organelles are also promoted with muscle tissue.
Fluctuate Calories
Your body adapts very easily, so you need to keep it guessing. Through homeostasis your body will make these adaptations to keep consistency. So if you don’t eat as many calories as you usually do, it will slow metabolism to conserve energy.
If you fluctuate your calorie consumption by small increments, for instance 1900 one day, 2100 the next, you can fool your body. Try fluctuating daily or weekly to see what works best for you.Eat More Meals
If you eat more meals throughout the day you can also trick your body into using more of the calories. Every time you eat, your body digests the food which in turn burns calories. If you eat more meals you will increase your metabolism and trick the body into not storing these calories as fat. Keep these meals small so you don’t overdo your calorie consumption for the day. Eat Whole Foods
Your body burns calories when digesting food because it needs to break the food down into usable parts. It takes out vitamins, nutrients, and fiber and breaks these down even more so they can be absorbed in your bloodstream. Processed foods do not require much work on the part of your body because these foods aren’t very complex. For example, refined sugar is easily digestible so your blood sugar will increase pretty quickly after eating it.
If you are eating whole foods, the body takes longer to break these down, thus burning more calories. Whole foods have more fiber, vitamins and nutrients so they are also better for you.
