10 Ways to Increase Your Metabolism and Burn Calories All Day Long

The fact that your metabolism slows down as you get older is probably not something you need experts to tell you. If a woman does nothing to combat the roller coaster of hormones, muscle loss, and stress that conspires to slow her fat-burning engine, she can expect to pack on more than 40 additional pounds by the time she is in her 50s and gain an average of 1 and a half pounds per year throughout her adult life. Thankfully, there is a method that can assist in getting it started again. Gaining weight during the middle years of life is not a given: As little as two weeks from now, if you eat foods that rev up your metabolism and stick to the plan, you’ll find that you sleep better, have more energy, feel firmer, and notice that your clothes are starting to get looser. Here are some ways that you can speed up your metabolism.

Reduce your calorie intake, but don’t go too far.

Reducing your calorie intake is indeed necessary for weight loss, but doing so to an extreme can slow down your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight. Your body will slow down your metabolism to conserve energy if you consume fewer calories than it requires for basic biological function (which is typically around 2,000 calories for women). It also begins the process of breaking down valuable, calorie-burning muscle tissue to generate energy, according to Dan Benardet, Ph.D., RD, an associate professor of nutrition and kinesiology at Georgia State University. “Eat just enough so you don’t feel hungry—a 150-calorie snack between three meals (about 430 calories each) will keep your metabolism humming,” which translates to “eat just enough so you don’t feel hungry.”

Every morning, sit down to a satisfying breakfast.

Breakfast stimulates your metabolism and sustains your energy levels throughout the day. It’s not a coincidence that women who skip this meal are almost four and a half times more likely to be obese than those who don’t. If you don’t have anything else, grab some yogurt. You could also try making some oatmeal with milk that is 2 percent and topping it with nuts to increase the amount of protein in your diet.

Because caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, drinking coffee daily can increase the rate at which your body burns calories by five to eight percent or approximately 98 to 174 calories per day. A study that was published in 2012 in the journal Obesity suggests that consuming a high amount of caffeine is associated with weight loss through thermogenesis, which is the process by which your body maintains heat and fat oxidation.

Increase the amount of fiber that you consume.

Increasing the number of foods in your diet that are high in fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and other legumes, will make you feel fuller for a longer period and will reduce your desire for unhealthy foods. According to several studies, women who consume the greatest amount of fiber in their foods experience the least amount of weight gain over time. Fiber intake of 21–25 grams per day is recommended for women, while 30–38 grams per day is recommended for men. To name just a few, raspberries, pears, apples, green peas, broccoli, and turnip greens are among the fruits and vegetables that are highest in fiber content. It will be easier for you to maintain healthy hormone levels and avoid gaining abdominal fat if you make it a daily priority to consume an adequate amount of all three macronutrients: protein, fiber, and fat.

Stay hydrated

According to the findings of a study published in the journal Obesity in 2012, drinking water may assist in the promotion of weight loss by lowering calorie intake and influencing metabolic rate. Researchers believe that this is because people are choosing water instead of calorie- and sugar-rich beverages. Additionally, they think that drinking water can aid in the process of lipolysis, or the breakdown of fats and other lipids. This idea is supported by the fact that water consumption is essential for survival.

HIIT is going to rev things up.

Studies have shown that high-intensity interval training is more effective than steady-state cardio at reducing the amount of fat stored in the abdominal region and boosting the metabolism. When you switch between brief times of high intensity and slower periods of intensity, your metabolism is reset to a higher rate. As a result, even when your workout is over, you continue to burn extra calories. This is known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Try out this 10-minute HIIT workout that you can do at home.

Start doing strength training right away.

When you hit your 30s, the rate at which you can build lean muscle mass will begin to slow down, but strength training can help you overcome this. Because muscle occupies less space than fat does, you will find that you can wear your favorite pair of jeans more comfortably even before you notice a significant drop in the number of pounds you weigh.

A study that was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that strength training can increase your resting metabolic rate, which means that you burn more calories even when you are not actively exercising. One of the most effective ways to engage multiple muscles simultaneously and minimize gym time is using compound exercises. As a result, they are among the best methods for building strength. Compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, such as switching from a weighted squat to a shoulder press or a reverse lunge to a bicep curl, will help you get more out of your workout for the same amount of time and effort.

Increase the amount of protein you consume.

Your body can’t keep its muscles in a lean state without protein. Include a serving of lean protein at each meal and snack. This could be three ounces of lean meat, two tablespoons of nuts, or eight ounces of low-fat yogurt. Protein, in the same way, that fiber does, helps you feel full for a longer period and reduces your desire for highly refined and processed foods, which tend to be high in calories.

Consume foods high in iron.

According to Tammy Lakatos, RD, co-author of Fire Up Your Metabolism, it is necessary for transporting the oxygen that your muscles require to burn fat. Menstruation is the primary route through which women lose iron throughout their reproductive years. If you don’t replenish your supplies, you run the risk of feeling tired all the time and slowing down your metabolism. There are many great sources of iron, including shellfish, lean meats, beans, fortified cereals, and spinach. Check out these other foods that have a higher iron content than beef.

Get more vitamin D

This vitamin is necessary for the maintenance of the muscle tissue that keeps the metabolism revved up. In a sad turn of events, researchers estimate that only 4% of American adults over the age of 50 get enough vitamin D through their diet. A serving of salmon that is 3.5 ounces will provide you with 400 international units of vitamin D, which is 90 percent of the recommended daily value. Other foods that are high in selenium include tuna, shrimp, tofu, eggs, fortified milk, and cereal.

Limit alcohol

Because alcohol is used as fuel instead of fat when you have a drink, you burn less fat and at a slower rate than normal after having a drink, especially drinks that are high in sugar. If you want to keep your waistline in check during the next happy hour, choose one of these alcoholic beverages that are low in calories. When it comes to drinking alcohol, one of the most common mistakes people make is with their serving sizes. Be sure to limit yourself to just one serving; one serving consists of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of liquor. To get the most out of your beverage, steer clear of sugary mixers because they only add extra calories, and sip them slowly.