Many people believe that their metabolism is something that they are born with or is something they don’t have much control over.
The good news however is that your metabolism is continually adapting to everything that you do. So today we are going to show 6 simple steps to get your metabolism revved up. (This info is even more important as we get older, as there is a natural decline in metabolism unless we do the right things to speed it back up again!)
1] Lift weights
Nothing ramps up your metabolism quite like a good full body session. A session like this will see your metabolism raised for around 24-48 hours afterwards. But that’s just a small part of the picture. Doing sessions like these over time will help build lean muscle tissue, which plays a vital role in raising your metabolism.
2] Eat more protein
When it comes to food there is something called the thermogenic effect of food (TEF). The TEF in protein is much higher than in carbohydrates. Put simply it take up more energy to digest protein, so if we give the body proteins regularly throughout the day it is very much like sticking more wood on the fire it will burn up more energy.
3] Get 6- 8 hours sleep per night (preferably between 10pm-7am)
Sleep can play a vital role in your metabolism. The hormones ghrelin and leptin are key in controlling your appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone found mainly in your stomach lining that increases your appetite. Leptin is a hormone in fat tissue that signals satiety. A lack of sleep has been shown to increase ghrelin and decreases leptin. This affects your metabolism by increasing your appetite as your brain fails to signal that you are full — even when you should be satisfied — leading to extra calories and potential weight gain.
4] Get Cold
There has been a link found between increased metabolism and the levels of Brown adipose tissue that you have (brown fat)
Located in your chest and back, brown fat’s job is to protect your vital organs they do this by generating heat. In contrast to white, or “bad,” fat, which stores energy as those bulges you’re trying to eliminate at the gym, brown fat is full of mitochondria, the glucose-burning power plants of cells, which give brown fat its color. People with more brown fat tend to be leaner and have lower blood sugar levels.
Short exposure to cold has been shown to increase brown fat stimulation. Research has shown taking a cold shower or applying cold compresses to your chest and back can help increase brown fat activation. It is not for the faint hearted but can be a good way to help ramp up the metabolism
5] Do Interval training
If you are going to do any cardiovascular training for fat loss it is recommended that you do High Intensity Interaval Training (HITT). As this has a much greater effect on your metabolism post workout. HIIT training can raise the metabolism for up to 12 hours compared with 1-2 hours of steady state cardio training
6] Many people believe that stress is good for fat loss. You have all heard of people saying “oh I lost weight on the divorce diet!” However chronic exposure to too much stress can have a real negative effect on your metabolism. When we are stressed we activate the fight or flight response. This causes an increase in your fat storing hormones insulin and cortisol and a reduction in the production of the enzymes required for digestion (your body is not capable of digesting food and powering the muscles to fight or flight at the same time).On top of that stress reduces the production of the main hormone that governs metabolism thyroid. Both of which have a real negative impact on your metabolism.
No matter what age or what state your metabolism is in at the moment, by implementing these 6 simple steps you can greatly change your metabolism. It is worth noting here also that many diets can have a negative effect on your metabolism. The secret to long term fat loss is losing fat whilst maintaining or boosting your metabolism.
PS. If you found this article interesting we are hosting a Fit after 40 event on the 12th Of September were we will show you how to put some of these tips into action and teach you everything you will need for long term success with your fat loss.
Tickets are going fast. Book your space today.
