Losing weight can become a strenuous task: strict diets and exercise regimens that seem not to work, and if they do, the dreaded rebound occurs as soon as the daily eating habits are resumed. Therefore, accelerating the metabolism to lose weight is so necessary for everyone who wants not only to reduce fat and lose extra kilos.
What many do not know is that losing weight does not have to be such an arduous task, because you can learn to take advantage of the mechanisms of your body to work in your favor, for example, you can learn how to increase the metabolism to lose weight.
What is metabolism?
Before we begin to focus on boosting the metabolism, it is necessary to understand its process. It is commonly understood that metabolism is a kind of mysterious process in charge of regulating your weight. In reality, metabolism refers to a series of biochemical processes and reactions that occur at the cellular level. Life at the molecular level depends on its proper functioning, as it allows cells to reproduce, grow, respond to certain stimuli, among other functions.
What happens if the metabolism speeds up?
The metabolism is divided into two processes: anabolism (construction) and catabolism (degradation), in anabolic reactions, energy is released, while in anabolic reactions the released energy is used for the construction of chemical bonds and cellular components.
These processes are interdependent and the minimum amount of energy that the body needs (which we obtain from food) to carry them out is the basal metabolic rate. What we usually call „metabolism“ is actually the basal metabolic rate.
If we increase the basal metabolic rate, that is to say by „accelerating the metabolism“, the body will consume more energy to perform the tasks so the calories from food will be consumed instead of being stored as fat, which will help you to lose weight permanently.
What does its operation depend on?
Body volume, gender, age, and genetics all play a role in metabolic rate. Muscle cells require more energy to maintain themselves, so a person with a higher muscle volume will tend to have a faster metabolism.
It is for this reason that men, who by nature have greater muscle mass and less fat than women, have a faster metabolism and need to consume more calories.
Also, as we get older, muscle mass decreases so age is essential to understand the process of metabolism. It is for this reason that it becomes more difficult to lose weight when we are over thirty.
However, these factors are not a lapidary and definitive sentence, since it is possible to accelerate the metabolism if we avoid certain habits that slow it down and we acquire others that stimulate it.
What slows down the metabolism?
In addition to the factors mentioned above, there are certain practices that can be detrimental to your basal metabolic rate. The most damaging are the so-called miracle or lightning diets.
While it is true that you can lose weight very quickly, they are usually accompanied by the so-called rebound effect; that is, when you suspend the diet you regain all the weight lost quickly and sometimes a little more.
This occurs for two reasons: first, the caloric intake of these diets is usually very low, which forces your body to break down muscle in order to obtain the necessary energy to function. A having less muscle, slower metabolism becomes.
On the other hand, by reducing the amount of food eaten so drastically, the body goes into emergency mode, makes all processes much slower to consume less energy and forces itself to store each and every one of the calories you consume.
With a slow metabolism and less muscle mass, you can quickly regain weight as soon as you start eating normally.
How to speed up metabolism?
That is why any “ weight loss “ diet that completely eliminates carbohydrates, fats, forces you to skip meals, or reduces excess caloric intake will be doomed to failure.
And that is why it is necessary to know how to accelerate the metabolism, the purpose of which will not only be to lose weight, but to improve the body in a general way.
Sleep to speed up your metabolism
Seems a bit paradoxical that through the possible break speed up metabolism, but several studies have found that a correlation between sleep and metabolism.
This occurs because sleep deprivation and other disorders have negative implications on cardiovascular and metabolic functioning, as it affects the metabolic regulation of glucose and other hormones that are related to weight gain and type II diabetes.
It’s important that you get at least eight hours of rest each night if you want to speed up your metabolism.
Avoid skipping breakfast
When you wake up, you have more than eight hours without consuming any type of food, so it is important to provide the body with the necessary nutrients to prevent it from entering emergency mode, which would lead to muscle breakdown and the consequent slowdown of metabolism.
Prefer breakfasts loaded with proteins and vegetables, as you will take advantage of the thermogenic effect (that is, your body produces more heat and you will burn more calories), you will also help maintain muscle mass and you will feel more satisfied; so, you will not overeat during lunch.
Train with weights
Weights are not just for bodybuilders or those obsessed with having disproportionate muscles. Lifting weights, even the lightest, will help you increase muscle mass and decrease fat.
Muscle tissue consumes more calories, so increasing its volume will help you lose weight.
It is enough to do targeted workouts for the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and back) a couple of times a week.
Drink water to help speed up your metabolism
Consuming 500ml of water helps to increase metabolic activity by 30%, as it induces thermogenesis. Plus, it will keep you hydrated and your skin will look better than ever.
Drink a cup of coffee in the morning
A cup of coffee increases your heart rate, causing your metabolism to accelerate for up to three hours after consuming it. If you are a candidate for coffee consumption, that is to say: you are not hypertensive, nor do you suffer from anxiety, consider this option, otherwise you should avoid it.
He prefers black coffee, unsweetened or sweetened with stevia. Avoid excess and frappe-type coffees, with creams and syrups that increase caloric intake and counteract its positive effects.
Aerobic exercises
They are the most efficient way to burn calories and reduce accumulated fat. You only need 30 minutes of physical activity daily, for 5 days a week to accelerate the metabolism for more than 12 hours and thus be able to lose weight.
Learn to eat
Choose foods capable of accelerating metabolism. The tuna, yogurt, grapefruits, fermented foods and proteins in general stimulate the thermogenic processes, as mentioned previously. Also, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as tuna and salmon reduce resistance to the hormone leptin, which is linked to how fat is burned.
Accelerate
When you are doing any physical activity, accelerate for at least 30 seconds. If you are swimming, walking or running, increase your speed to the maximum and then return to your normal rhythm. If you are in the office, take the stairs quickly.
These spikes in activity help you consume more oxygen and make your mitochondria work even harder to burn energy, together with the rest this will help you speed up your metabolism.
Switch to green tea
This drink is not only rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, but its active ingredient helps accelerate metabolism, as it promotes fat oxidation and thermogenesis.
It is calorie-free, so you can consume five cups of green tea a day to increase your basal metabolic rate by up to 90 calories, thereby speeding up your metabolism.
Eat several times a day
It is preferable to eat 6 small meals a day, instead of two or three large ones. This will contribute to the acceleration of metabolism to the extent that you avoid insulin spikes, keep glucose levels stable, which prevents weight gain.
It is important to emphasize that these tips will be effective only if they are accompanied by a healthy diet and physical activity. There is no quick and miracle way to lose weight, you need to create good habits and stick to them for changes to occur.
Remember to consult professionals such as doctors and nutritionists before making drastic changes to your diet.
