How to speed up your metabolism: the most effective ways to speed up your metabolism

August 18, 2019
Health
Pod Mood

The question of how to speed up metabolism simply set the teeth on edge, perhaps, for everyone who has tried to lose weight at least once in their life. Myths and legends have long shrouded the processes of human metabolism. It would seem that at the peak of the popularity of fitness, proper nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle in general, ways to speed up your metabolism should be known to everyone. But people keep asking about it.

Today we will cover this topic from all sides. To understand once and for all the work of metabolism and the question of how to speed up metabolism in order to lose weight, we will start with basic knowledge.

Interestingly, a slow metabolism is called everything from an insatiable appetite and nighttime gluttons to a passive lifestyle and laziness. Therefore, we will look at what metabolism is in general and what affects it in order to understand whether it is a problem or just an excuse.

What a beast is metabolism?

Metabolism or human metabolism is the rate at which each individual's body converts calories from the food it consumes into the energy needed to maintain the functioning of the physical body. In simple words, accelerating metabolism is an increase in the rate of conversion of consumed calories into expended energy.

And this is where many people stop reading further, because everything supposedly becomes clear to them: you spend more energy, which means your body processes food faster. So I accelerated my metabolism. If everything were exactly like this, then there wouldn’t be fat people working out in gyms for years.

“We need to eat less,” I’ll want to tell you. And this is another trap. Our body is very smart, and when it does not have enough energy from calories to maintain the functioning of its internal organs (yes, everything works on calories there too), it begins to accumulate energy. It manifests itself simply: drowsiness, apathy, melancholy, depression arise... In this case, we are no longer talking about healthy weight loss or health in general.

How to speed up the metabolism in the body

To improve your body's metabolic rate, follow these guidelines:

The right diet is important to speed up your metabolism. It is recommended to take food at short intervals. If the body does not receive calories for a long time, chemical processes are inhibited, and the body begins to work in economy mode. Such reactions are laid down by nature so that in case of hunger the body has enough energy for a long time. Therefore, hunger must be prevented. Forget about strict diets. It is recommended to eat frequently and in small portions, every 2-3 hours. Due to the regular intake of nutrients into the body, it will actively and systematically digest them.
The sauna is useful for metabolic processes. An increase in temperature activates all processes in the body. Sweating helps remove excess water and toxins, and warming enhances blood circulation and the functioning of internal organs and systems.
Also, to speed up your metabolism, use a contrast shower.
Increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Dietary fiber activates intestinal function. Their sources are vegetables, fruits, and grains. Eating bran is also beneficial.

Once a week, it is useful to do a fasting day to speed up your metabolism. It can be based on kefir, apples, porridge without salt and oil, or just water.

What does metabolic rate depend on?

Let's first remember one important thing: the function (conversion of calories into energy) of metabolism is the same for all people, but the speed of this process is different. And to understand how to speed up metabolism, you need to know what affects it. The following factors stand out here:

The ratio of body fat to muscle mass in your body. The first is more voluminous, and the second is heavier. Remember the picture on social networks: “60 kg can look different”? A person who has more muscle than fat in his body has a higher metabolic rate.
Floor. In men, the metabolic rate is 7-10% higher - this is how nature intended.
Height. This is also a trick of nature: the taller a person is, the faster his metabolic rate.
Age. The human body ages, and over time all processes slow down. Accordingly, the older we are, the slower our metabolism.
Lifestyle. The more physical activity, the faster your metabolism. Note that physical activity comes in fifth and last place.

What picture emerges next? Let's look at a specific example:

A 25-year-old woman with a height of 165 centimeters, working as a secretary in an office (sedentary job), is overweight. She has a slow metabolism (only adjusting her diet will not help her).
If a 25-year-old woman with a height of 165 centimeters is overweight, but works as a janitor (active work), then she is simply overeating (a simple adjustment of her diet will help her).

What does it mean to speed up your metabolism, and why do it?

“To lose weight, it’s obvious,” you might say. Let's add: not only. After all, the most common question is: how to speed up metabolism after strict diets? Remember the beginning of the article - this is exactly the case when the body was underfed for a long time and it accumulated energy.

In fact, nutritionists call obesity after strict diets one of the most difficult cases for accelerating metabolism. So we recommend that you think twice, or even three times, before deciding to drink kefir or wondering how to quickly speed up your metabolism. As you can see, “quickly” in this case turns into “long”. And by summer it’s better to lose weight from the beginning of spring, and not in the last week of May. In this case, lose weight by the fall - you will be healthier.

Pleasant bonuses from fast metabolism are:

good mood;
lack of usual fatigue from physical activity;
cheerfulness throughout the day;
no heaviness after eating;
good functioning of the digestive organs;
fewer hours to get enough sleep;
beautiful and fit body.

The best reason to speed up your metabolism is to improve your health and quality of life.

Herbal medicine for weight loss and acceleration and metabolism

There are a number of folk remedies that also help speed up metabolism and lose weight. They involve the use of medicinal plants, which make it possible to accelerate metabolic processes:

Nettle. Helps speed up metabolic processes, contains a large amount of vitamin C and chlorophyll. You can make tea with nettles by brewing young shoots and inflorescences. It is also added to salads and soups. For weight loss, it is recommended to take half a glass of the decoction three times a day.
St. John's wort. This medicinal plant also speeds up metabolism and promotes rapid weight loss. It is also often used to treat depression, VSD, PMS and other disorders. Please note that St. John's wort should not be taken if you are taking any medications, as it speeds up the process of removing them from the body and reduces the therapeutic effect. Preparing an infusion of St. John's wort is quite simple: a tablespoon of chopped herb is brewed with a glass of boiling water. It is taken one tablespoon five times a day.
Lingonberry leaves help to lose weight and improve overall body tone. They contain organic acids, glycosides, and vitamins. All these substances stimulate metabolism and give the body strength. This plant also helps replenish vitamin reserves in the body. It is useful to add to tea.
Chicory. It is both tasty and healthy, helps speed up metabolism and improves fat burning processes, improves the color and appearance of the skin. You can replace chicory with coffee.
Marshmallow root. Helps relieve hunger due to its enveloping properties. To prepare the infusion, you need to pour a tablespoon of crushed roots with cooled boiled water, let it brew for two hours, then strain.
Spirulina. It is rich in fiber. Dry grass helps fill the stomach, which helps eliminate the feeling of hunger without extra calories. It is also rich in iodine, which helps speed up metabolism.
Mint. Used to reduce the secretion of gastric juice and normalize appetite through this. It can be added to tea or brewed separately. Mint is calming, so it can be used before bed.

There are also pills to speed up metabolism, but they are indicated in extremely rare cases, and you cannot prescribe them yourself - only a doctor can do this. In most cases, proper nutrition and regular physical activity are enough to speed up your metabolism.

Basic methods

These include:

Sleep according to the schedule. It’s trite, but this is the foundation on which our metabolism stands. An adult needs 6 to 8 hours of sleep at night. It is important to fall asleep before 23:00 (some sources recommend falling asleep before 22:30). The first thing you need to do is improve your sleep: sleep the required number of hours, go to bed and get up at the same time.
Drinking regime. Only the lazy one didn’t tell you that you definitely need to drink plenty of clean water throughout the day. Teas (even herbal), coffee, juices, and so on are not included in these standards. You should start the day with a glass of water on an empty stomach. Water drunk during training is also not included in the norm. The formula is very simple: 40 ml for every kilogram of your weight, where half we get from food and other liquids, and the other half is plain water. That is, a man weighing 80 kg (40 x 80) should drink 3,200 ml of liquid per day, of which 1,600 ml is pure water. In fact, it is not so difficult for an adult to drink a one and a half liter bottle. Just try it.
Breakfast required. Due to the rush in the morning, many people skip this important meal, and in vain. The less you eat in the first half of the day, the more you will eat in the second. And in the evening, due to the biological clock of our body, all processes prepare for sleep and do not want to digest food at a normal speed, which means they will put it in reserve, that is, into fat. Breakfast is also necessary to get energy and charge for the day. After all, it is he who starts our metabolism, which was in sleep mode all night.
Physical activity. You don't have to include jogging or regular workouts into your life. It's enough to just move more. Start by avoiding elevators and escalators, getting off one stop early on your way home from work, and walking home. Always walk when time permits.
Diet. There are several rules here:

eat at the same time;
do not eat 2-4 hours before bedtime;
eat small meals, preferably 4 times a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack (insert between meals as convenient);
do not allow a break between meals of more than 4 hours (preferably every 3 hours);
the weight of a serving (all dishes per meal) should not exceed 350 grams for women and 450 grams for men. As you know, the average human stomach has a volume of 500 ml (more in men than in women), and it is necessary to leave room in it for digestion.

How to speed up your metabolism to lose weight in adulthood

It has already been said that with age, all processes in the body slow down, and this also applies to metabolism. After 40 years, a person can easily gain 5-10 kg of weight by eating the same way as before. (diet for losing weight after 45 years: useful information in the article) This is especially true for women who at this age undergo hormonal changes: estrogen production decreases, its deficiency is compensated by an increase in adipose tissue. The amount of testosterone, which is responsible for muscle volume, decreases, and therefore fewer calories are burned.

However, it is possible to accelerate metabolism at this age, and here are some tips that are recommended to be used:

Initially, experts advise checking your hormone levels. Thyroid dysfunction can lead to slow metabolic processes and uncontrolled weight gain
You will have to reconsider your diet - in order to stay in shape, as you age you need to take more and more care of your nutrition.
It is recommended to exclude sweet and salty foods from the diet. It is recommended to focus on proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, and complex carbohydrates.
The number of calories should decrease with age (from 2000 kcal at 35 years old to 1600 kcal after 45 years old).
Also remember that you need to have breakfast and prevent hunger by using light snacks.
It is recommended to make dinner protein and light, 3-4 hours before bedtime.
It is better to minimize alcohol consumption.

Auxiliary methods

Having introduced basic methods of accelerating metabolism into your life, you can move on to auxiliary ones. These include:

Workout. It is important not to push yourself, otherwise you will discourage the desire to engage in fitness for many years. Start gradually. The fitness instructors themselves recommend that beginners try all areas, from Pilates to CrossFit. Visit each destination several times - you will definitely like something. Seasoned fitness "gurus" say that if you don't love working out, you just haven't found your direction yet. Believe me, there are much more of them than it seems at first glance. Don't be lazy, pick up a booklet from your nearest fitness center.
Fiber in the diet. Accelerating metabolism is not a quick thing. And if you have already completed all the previous points, it’s time to return to your diet. Fiber is found most in fresh vegetables and herbs. Try to consume them with every meal.
Massage course. A very nice point. You can choose any massage you like. By doing it regularly, you will disperse the lymph, and this will help accelerate metabolism. As a pleasant bonus, you will also get velvety skin, feel muscle relaxation and reduce cellulite.
Sauna or bathhouse. Once a week is a great addition to the process of losing weight and getting healthy. With sweat, many toxic substances are released that poison our body, as a result of which metabolic processes occur faster and rejuvenation starts.
Cold and hot shower. Yes, this simple method perfectly answers the question: how to speed up your metabolism. It is useful not only for the skin and immunity, but also speeds up metabolism.

Stay away from fasting and crash diets

Hunger strikes and diets that involve consuming extremely low amounts of calories lead to an even greater reduction in calorie intake (due to the body burning muscle), driving people into a vicious circle of decreasing calorie intake. With each stage of the hunger strike, their daily calorie intake becomes lower and lower, and it becomes more and more difficult to maintain it.

As a result, in most cases, a person gains even more than before the fasting diet. This is called the "yo-yo" effect and is described in detail in the text "Old Body with a New Way."

To confirm this, we present data from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, which they received after conducting a 24-week experiment. The study involved 13 overweight women. The group of subjects was divided into 2 subgroups, the first of which consumed a sharply limited amount of calories - 500 kcal per day, and the second - a moderately limited amount of calories - 1200 kcal per day. After 8 weeks, scientists noted a decrease in caloric intake at rest by 17% in the group that consumed 500 kcal per day , while in the second group the data remained virtually unchanged.

Moreover, in addition to hindering the process of losing weight, a sharp restriction in calories causes significant harm to our health.

Conclusion: Avoid fasting and low-calorie diets.

Myths and reality

Now let's dispel all the myths associated with accelerating metabolism and play the truth or lie game:

How to speed up your metabolism is not the only question people ask. They often look for the difference between the same concepts. For example, are they interested in how to speed up metabolism and metabolism? So, there cannot be a union between them. These are simply two different names for the same process in our body.
How to speed up your metabolism to the limit? The metabolic rate limit is a myth. You can always do something better, stronger, faster. Moreover, from the first paragraphs of the article we already know that the metabolic rate changes with our age and lifestyle. This means that the limit in different periods and on different days would be different in any case. If only he existed, of course.
The harder the workout, the faster the metabolism. This is another myth. By getting overloaded in training, you wear out your heart and body, which means you slow down all processes, including metabolism. Physical activity should be chosen according to your level, gradually increasing it.
Walking in the fresh air affects your metabolic rate. This is also a myth. Undoubtedly, walking outside and going out of town is very useful, and fresh air enriches the body’s cells much better, but it has no effect on the metabolic rate. What matters here is the speed of your walk and the amount of time spent on it.
Dietary supplements (BAS) are the best way to speed up your metabolism. This is a myth and also dangerous to health. Remember:

Dietary supplements are just a marketing ploy by supplement manufacturers. None of them works without outside support, that is, without healthy sleep, activity and nutritious food. This then begs the question: why are they needed at all? Maybe just to speed up the process.
Prescribing such supplements on your own can be hazardous to your health. You have no idea what substances you have in your body, what you lack, and what you have in excess. If you still decide to speed up the process with dietary supplements, be sure to consult a doctor. He will prescribe tests, according to which he will determine the supplement that is effective for you. Remember, you don’t play with your health.

A little psychology

It happens that nothing helps to lose weight and people turn to doctors, thinking that their hormonal levels are wrong. But, according to statistics, only every thousand patient is overweight due to hormonal imbalances. And here a person’s psychological health comes to the fore. It’s great that in our modern world there is no shame in turning to a psychologist, because living in constant stress has a detrimental effect on health. And once again answering the question of how to speed up metabolism, let’s say that you need to have stable psychological health.

Regular depression or stress, panic attacks or apathy, a feeling of uselessness or hatred, dislike for yourself and a feeling of being unworthy - all these are bells of a shattered psyche. And this means that first of all it is necessary to deal with it.

How to speed up your metabolism when you have a whole bunch of psychological problems? One answer: solve them. Mental health is no different from physical health. A person with a sprained ankle will not run a cross-country race.

You can solve a mental problem with the help of a psychologist, various courses, relaxing practices, motivating and inspiring books, communicating with like-minded people.