Contrary to popular belief, a natural ‘slow metabolism’ is rarely a cause of being overweight. Certain medical conditions can slow down your metabolism (making it easier to gain weight) but these conditions are rare. In fact, the process of losing weight can itself cause your metabolism to slow down.
Metabolism-boosting strategies
Preserving and increasing your metabolic rate is an essential part of losing weight and keeping it off.
We will now explore some tips to help boost your metabolism and maximise your weight-loss efforts.
Cardiovascular exercise
Whether it’s a brisk 30-minute walk or an hour’s boxercise, physical activity elevates your metabolic rate. Plus, your metabolic rate can remain elevated post-workout for up to 18 hours!
Intensity is key, which means the harder you work the greater the metabolic gains. A great trick is to include some ‘more intense’ intervals into your exercise. For example, if you’re walking, try a slow jog for ten seconds every now and then.
Add in some strength training
Strength training will help to off-set any muscle loss due to some types of exercise. A simple ten-minute circuit of strength-building activity a few times a week is all it takes. It can help to preserve and even build your muscle, contributing towards a boost in your metabolic rate.
For example, this type of training could include yoga, Pilates, toning classes, body weight circuits and weight training – pick your favourite to help it become a habit you’ll want to keep up!
Keep moving
Aside from planned exercise sessions, try to keep as generally active as possible in your day-to-day. Studies show that people who are constantly on the go (but who never exercise) benefit as much as regular exercisers who are otherwise sedentary.
Eat lots of lean protein
Digesting the food you eat takes energy. Breaking down protein expends up to six times more energy than breaking down carbohydrate or fat. In fact, for every 100 calories of protein you eat, around 30 will be used simply to digest and metabolise it. This can amount to as much as 100-150 extra calories burned every day, which equates to around a pound of fat every month!
There’s also a bonus… eating protein influences hormones that control appetite and satisfaction, which means you’ll feel less hungry and are likely to eat less food overall.
Further support
NHS – Online strength-building exercises.
BBC – The ten best sources of protein.
