Eat More Foods Rich in Omega 3 Fats
Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and other similar fish are very effective when it comes to losing weight. Eating foods high in these fats may sounds counter-intuitive when trying to lose weight, however the fats which they contain have been proven to do just that.
Omega 3 fats help to do so because they are effective in regulating our blood glucose levels, which play a huge role in how our metabolism works, and thus how much weight we have.
The best sources of omega 3 fats are going to be sources of fatty fish as well as various nuts and seeds. Add chia seeds or flaxseeds to your oatmeal, cereal or even a smoothie to help boost your intake of these important nutrients which will help boost your metabolism in return.
Make an Effort to Put on More Muscle
Everyone knows that exercise is an effective way to not only burn of fat, but to keep it off via an increase in metabolism. Improving your metabolism allows you to burn fat and calories throughout the day, without any extra effort on your part.
While cardiovascular exercise such as running, cycling, swimming and other related activities will definitely help to burn fat and improve your metabolism, weight training is the better option.
This is because you are getting the additional benefit of building muscle through weight training, along with the benefits of calories burned through exercise.
This happens because all that muscle you are adding requires a tremendous amount of energy just to maintain it, as opposed to other tissues such as fat. This means that your body requires more energy just to keep your muscles happy at rest, boosting your metabolism and burning more fat in the process.
Use Supplements to Help Your Metabolism
One of the most popular supplements out there when it comes to improving metabolism and energy levels is caffeine. Caffeine has been proven to stimulate our nervous system, which in turn ramps up our metabolism.
A great option here is green tea, as it not only contains caffeine, but plenty of antioxidants as well which further help to break all that fat down, and flush it from the body. Drinking beverages like green tea which boost your metabolism actually increase your energy expenditure as well, helping to burn more fat as a result.
Don’t Cut Too Many Calories
Cutting calories can be an effective way to lose weight, however it can have the reverse effect if you are not careful.
When the body is at a huge caloric deficit it turns in to survival mode, which means that your body is slowing down your metabolism in order to conserve energy.
This is not the way to go, as not only are you depriving yourself and probably are starving in the process, you are actually reducing your metabolism in the process. On top of that if you exercise to help improve your metabolism as well, chances are that you aren’t going to have the energy necessary to do so if you are cutting calories.
Remember that your body needs calories in order to run even while it is at rest, otherwise known as the resting metabolic rate. If you don’t meet this minimum requirement the body will slow down your metabolism, defeating the whole purpose here.
Exercise on a Consistent Basis
Regularly exercising is important as well to an improved metabolism. After you exercise, especially after an intense workout, your metabolism is still raised throughout the day. This continues for about a cycle of 24hours, meaning that in theory you can maintain this elevated metabolism all day, every day.
Remember, to do this you need to be exercising with good intensity, and not doing it with half effort, otherwise your results will suffer. To give you an idea of how hard to go, you shouldn’t be able to hold a conversation while exercising without being heavily labored.
Cheat in Moderation
Depriving yourself of all those awesome tasting fatty and sugary foods can really do a number on your psyche. When it comes to boost your metabolism a healthy diet is extremely important, however you should also remember to treat yourself every so often.
It is ok to cheat on your diet, if you do so within moderation. If you have trouble with this, try to stick to the 90/10 method. This means that 90% of the food you eat should consist of healthy nutritious food, while the other 10% can be junk food.
