Metabolism: Tips and Tricks

If you’re on a diet and trying to shred those extra pounds that have inevitably creeped up on you over the festive period there is one thing you need to keep an eye on, and that’s your metabolism. We have all known people throughout our lives who seem to constantly gorge themselves and never seem to put on any weight. This will be down to their strong metabolism, which we all know at some point will start to slow and they’ll then be in the unenviable position that you find yourself in now.

Here are some ways that you may be upsetting your metabolism.

1. Going to bed on an empty stomach

Going to bed with an empty stomach will not just affect your sleep, it could also lower your metabolic rate. Research shows that hunger pains can increase levels of ghrelin in your body, which can encourage you to pile on the pounds. Always make sure you have that healthy balanced dinner earlier on in the evening

2. You cut out food groups

Everyone knows it’s important when dieting to cut down on carbs, but you should up your levels of protein and good fats. If you don’t have enough protein you will sacrifice muscle mass – even if you’re exercising, as protein is required to replenish muscle tissue post-exercise. Muscle cells need more energy to maintain than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest.

3. You don’t cheat on your diet

Cheating on your diet can be a powerful way to boost your metabolism. Weight loss always tends to plateau after a time on a strict diet, shocking your body with a high-calorie meal every so often can help to ignite your metabolism, forcing it to break down more food than usual. Don’t be afraid to plan a cheat day one your comfortably inside your diet regime, but don’t cheat too often or too early, as you may end up regretting it when you do your weekly weigh-in.

4. Your food is bland

Healthy eating shouldn’t be boring – get your taste buds tingling within your diet. Spices like black pepper, chilli and ginger will add loads of flavour to your cooking and, gingerol in ginger and capsaicin in chilli will even help your weight-loss efforts, too.

5. You’re eating the wrong breakfast

Breakfast is an integral part to any day and choosing the right breakfast is very important for your metabolism. Choose a breakfast that will sustain you throughout the day to cut down on snacks. Porridge is the easy choice, made with water and not milk, and flavoured with lemon juice, or cinnamon is a very healthy and sustainable way to start the day. Important thing to do is to load up on energy whilst trying to avoid any added sugars, also adding a cup of black coffee to the mix is an instant metabolic boost.

6. You’re avoiding caffeine

If you have stopped your morning trips to the chain coffee shop round the corner from work, you may want to think again. However, leave the cappuccino and extra syrup’s sugars and milk and opt for a simple americano or espresso to lower the calories whilst still gaining the benefits. However don’t over do it on the caffeine, as coffee also comes with its downsides: insomnia, irritability and uncontrollable jitters when drank in excess.

7. You don’t eat organic

Eating organic can be pricey, but eating organic veg can be a great boost for your body. It has long been thought that certain pesticides used on foods could lead your body to increase its fat stores, rather than burn it efficiently.

8. You’re loading up on low-fat food

It’s shocking I know, but eating low-fat, low sugar foods could actually make you pile on the pounds, if they are packed with sweeteners and other flavour enhancers. This could lead to you loading up more and more on the negative as you are being told they are not as bad for you as the full sugar alternative.

9. You’re steaming all your veg

Try eating more and more of your veg raw, the extra energy your body uses to break down the raw veg will help speed your metabolism as well as not losing any of the goodness through over-cooking.

10. You’re eating three meals a day

Having a little tweak over when your eating and how often can have a big affect on your metabolism. Aim for consuming smaller amounts more often to keep you metabolism ticking over nicely. Eating too much in one sitting will make it harder for your body to fully digest, and will slow down your metabolism.

References:
https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a23935058/metabolism-facts/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/essential-facts-about-your-metabolism-weight-loss/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/6-years-after-the-biggest-loser-metabolism-is-slower-and-weight-is-back-up/