It seems we're all struggling to lose weight particularly after the holidays. Wouldn't it be nice if there was an easy way to increase your metabolism? While there's no substitute for diet and exercise, the following have been shown to have a positive effect on your metabolism or the rate at which you burn food. Try these tips:
1. Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. Using this technique, you keep your metabolism consistently primed and operating at peak capacity. Thus, you should burn off calories at a faster rate.
2. Never skip a meal. Small meals should be eaten on average every 3 hours to keep your metabolism functioning at peak capacity.
3. Drink green tea on a daily basis or take a green tea supplement. Studies have shown that the catechins found in green tea can speed up the metabolic rate. You would need to consume at least 5 glasses of green tea per day to get a positive metabolic effect.
4. Plan to do at least 20 minutes of resistance exercise 3-4 days per week. The higher your muscle to fat ratio, the more rapidly you will burn fat.
5. Add a little spice to your life! Studies have shown that spices such as chilies, peppers, hot sauce can increase your metabolism. The active ingredient in these spices is capsacin, known metabolic booster.
6. Do some high intensity cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week. This not only increase your metabolic during the workout but will carry over for several hours after your workout.
7. Increase your intake of lean protein. This not only serves to decrease your appetite by giving you a full sensation but also directly increases your metabolism. Plus, when you eat more protein, you're likely to consume less carbs which can have a negative effect on your metabolism.
Give some of these tips a try! Make them a part of your daily weight loss plan and you'll be well on your way to achieving a firm and lean physique.
