10 Tips to Boost Your Metabolism and Boot out the Fat

 Updated 2nd Feb, 2020

Whether you’re trying to remove some extra weight or simply want to keep lean, your metabolic rate is a crucial determinant in how easy this will be.

Simply put, your metabolic rate is the speed at which chemical processes take place in your body, such as the burning up of food components for energy. A fast metabolic rate is desirable, as that means you should have an easier time in accessing accumulated fat for energy.

Some people are naturally blessed with a good metabolism throughout their lives. Everyone knows someone who seems to be able to eat whatever they want and not gain an ounce.

For most, however, this is only experienced in their youth, if they're lucky.

There are many factors that influence the metabolic rate, such as genes, gender, age, body composition, occupation, stress level, hormonal balance, sleep quality and quantity, nutritional deficiencies and activity level, to name just a few. Seriously, that's just a few!

Some of these variables are beyond our control, such as genetics and age. Fortunately, many factors that determine our metabolic rate can be improved upon. And there are also many tricks that don't necessarily increase the metabolic rate, but positively impact fat burning anyway.

Nutritional supplements that aid in lean muscle building and faster fat burning can be very useful adjuncts to a fat burning or maintenance program. There are literally dozens of scientifically researched nutrients and herbal medicines that can take the edge off a weight loss program.

One of the most important points to remember when targeting a weight loss program is to focus on fat loss. We don’t want to lose muscle weight! And we certainly don’t want to lose vitamin and mineral weight! Keeping our protein intake up, and our nourishment high, through the consumption of low-calorie micronutrient-rich foods is a must.

Here are some changes you can make in your day-to-day life that can help you boost your metabolic rate:

1.  Get Active

The level of physical activity that you engage in is certainly within your control. So do more of it! Walking is great exercise. However, a Sunday stroll for ten minutes probably won’t cut it, unless that's a starting point from which you will wind up.

Ultimately, try daily bouts of moderate paced walking, with some hills if you can, for at least a half hour. If you really want to go for it, try high intensity interval training (HIIT).

HIIT really speeds up your metabolism to the absolute maximum, helping you continue to burn calories even after the completion of the exercise. This is called the afterburn effect.

Lifting weights or engaging in calisthenics isn't just for bodybuilders and show-boaters. It will help you maintain lean muscle mass while you are losing fat mass, as most people when embarking upon a weight loss program lose a significant amount of muscle. And muscle is extremely important for maintaining overall optimal health and reducing the possibility of rebound weight gain once you have lost the fat-mass and reached your goal.

A combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training is perfect for any weight loss program. You could try alternating days, or do it all in one session, such as circuit training, crossfit or HIIT.

2.  Don’t Skip Breakfast

Skipping breakfast is not a great idea when you’re trying to improve your metabolism. When we sleep, our metabolism slows down and and we also become quite catabolic, as we are in a fasting state.

This is why having a breakfast is important as it gets the metabolism up and running and stimulates protein synthesis so we can retain muscle with more ease- as long as it contains a quality protein source, that is.

If you skip breakfast, your body will be unable to revive the metabolic rate, and lean muscle mass levels will diminish. Go for foods rich in protein, low glycemic index carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Okay, so the picture below isn't ideal, as it is basically a bowl of muesli, with fruit, milk and coffee. To improve upon it, mix up a protein shake and use that as your milk, omit the dried fruit, adding some fresh fruit instead, add a sprinkle of nuts and seeds on top and enjoy the black coffee, just as it is.

It would also be wise to measure the muesli and count the calories, as they can add up quite fast.

3.  Eat Frequently

Eating often is important, however, an absolute free-for-all on food is not the answer either. This might actually have the opposite effect!

Firstly, we need to choose foods that will move us towards our goal. Also, spacing out our meals throughout the day instead of gorging on two or three big ones is good for the metabolism.

The metabolic rate can be compared to a fire. Sticks and small pieces or wood every now and then help to feed the fire, creating a bright burning metabolic flame.

However, too many logs, and the fire becomes overwhelmed and dies down. So eat small portions frequently, preferably every 3 hours or so. Going without food for long hours will slow things down and reduce protein synthesis.

Eat meals that are high in fibre and protein such as fruits, vegetables, yoghurt, salads, low-fat cottage cheese, nuts, eggs, fish and fibre crackers.

4.  Guzzle Plenty of Clean H2O

Make it a point to drink at least 2 to 3 litres of water every day. This of course depends on your body size, how hot and humid it is, how much you sweat throughout the day, among many other factors.

Sometimes when we get a strong hunger signal, it can actually be a thirst message that has somehow become mixed up. There aren’t any calories in water ... so it's important to keep hydrated so we can feel livelier and most energised to exercise at an ideal pace and keep our food intake under control.

5.  Consider Nutrition Supplements

The benefits gained from nutritional supplements vary from person to person. While there is no doubt that if consumed as directed and after proper consultation a nutrition supplement can drive up your metabolism.

Keep in mind that supplements are not a replacement for good nutritious food. You may wish to consider a good multivitamin/mineral, a protein powder, essential amino acids, fish oils or a general antioxidant.

Supplements such as quality Green Tea, Green Coffee, Magnesium powders and chromium, and hormonal balancers can all assist in helping speed up the process of weight loss.

6.  Eat Some Heat

Fiery foods like chili peppers, jalapenos and cayenne can positively affect your metabolism for the better. These foods contain capsinoids, which increase energy expenditure, boost the production of heat in the body as well as jump-start the activity of your sympathetic nervous system, which results in a surge of the metabolic rate.  

Try them diced in the morning omelette, along with some egg whites, a whole egg, red onions, shallots, zucchini and some low fat shredded cheese, served on baby spinach. This is loaded with quality nutrients, as well as protein. For desert, and yes you can enjoy desert when dieting, try a small amount of berries topped with geek yoghurt. Just watch your portion sizes.

7.  Consume More Calcium

The Nutrition Journal in 2013 showed that if you are low in calcium and Vitamin D3, you may have a harder time burning fat. To meet your calcium needs, indulge in low-fat dairy, tofu, oatmeal, and salmon or sardines with edible bones. Other sources are sesame seeds (tahini paste), almonds and calcium fortified milk alternatives.

Sunlight is of course a wonderful provider of Vitamin D3, which is triggered by skin exposure to direct sunlight (not through a window). Face, hands and lower legs is typically enough, in the morning and late afternoon, or midday for short periods during winter.

8.  Avoid Alcohol

Not only do alcoholic drinks fill you up with empty calories, they also create a lot of liver stress. Apart from that, the hangover next day will make you reach out for comfort foods, which only means caloric trouble. So try and avoid alcoholic drinks as much as possible.  

9.  Put on Some Lean Muscle

Make it a point to include weight training or progressive resistance exercises in your fitness regimen at least 2 to 3 times a week as these exercises will help you build muscle.

Increasing your muscle mass will help you lose weight because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. More importantly, it takes quite a lot of energy to repair damaged muscle as a result of resistance training. This means the day after, and sometimes many days after, resistance exercise, you will be expending extra calories for muscle repair.

10.  Keep Stress Away and Get Enough Sleep

Long-term stress increases the level of cortisol in the body. When your body is stressed out, it starts storing fat instead of burning it. You might want to meditate, do yoga, or pursue a hobby to lower your stress levels and bring your metabolism back on track.

A lack of sleep can also change the pattern of your metabolism. Not getting enough sleep cuts down the amount of calories that get burnt when your body is at rest.

According to Dr. John Berardi, the President of Precision Nutrition and the author of ‘The Metabolism Advantage’, “the rate of calories your body burns at rest represents about 60% to 75% of your total daily calorie burning, which makes slowing it through lack of sleep a serious roadblock to weight loss.”

Lack of sleep also increases cortisol, and can generally make us feel emotional and more likely to go for comfort foods and couch time instead of a protein shake and hitting the gym.

And we both know which one will make you feel better ...

To Conclude

Since the metabolic rate is not the same for everyone, and there are different factors that affect it, you need to figure out what works the best for you. What are the areas of your overall health that need the most work? Is it stress, sleep, food preparation and grocery shopping.

Make a list, as long as you need, and start there. One column for the issue, and the other for potential resolutions. It might take some time to really understand what you need to do to resolve the health challenge, but with consistent effort and determination, success is practically guaranteed.

A combination of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and the right kind of nutritional supplements will certainly help get you on the right track. You might be wondering, do you go keto, vegan, carnivore or any of the other hundred diets that claim to have all the answers.

A great place to start is a plant-based diet, with small amounts of dairy products, eggs and seafood to keep you protein and calcium level up. From there, you can research and experiment and find out what works best for you as an individual. After all, no one really knows your body quite like you do.