Everyone knows at least one person that eats the same things as everyone else, and in same amounts, if not more, and still stays fit and slim. There are many possible reasons for this, but one of them can be a good, fast metabolism.
One of the key things in losing weight is to burn more calories compared to the amount eaten. Raising one’s metabolism and allowing the body to burn calories faster is one way to do it.
Metabolism is a term used to describe the number of calories burnt by the body. Now, metabolism may not be the key factor in weight loss, where other things, like exercise and diet, are more important, it is certainly a big contributor.
Boosting the metabolism is not very difficult or complicated, as long as several important aspects are kept in mind and followed.
Fiber rich carbohydrates
People who are trying to lose weight often count their carb intake and try to eat as few of them as possible. However, this is not always easy to achieve and some carbohydrates are bound to sneak in the diet. Moreover, it is not very healthy to avoid carbohydrates altogether, as human body needs them for many functions. But choosing carbohydrates that are rich in fiber is much better than sticking to the ones that are low in fiber.
Fiber rich carbohydrates, and fiber, in general, require more time and effort to digest, and their digestion burns more calories.
More protein in the diet
Similarly to fiber, the body spends more energy and calories to digest protein than it does with fats and carbohydrates. Including more of this macronutrient in the diet is one sure way to boost the metabolism. Foods rich in protein include meat, fish, nuts and beans and other legumes.
Exercise
Exercise, especially cardio and weight lifting, is a great and very efficient way to boost the metabolism and to lose weight. Cardio exercise, like cycling, jogging, rowing and similar, increase the metabolism in two ways. First, during workout the body burns a significant amount of calories. Secondly, the metabolism stays elevated for a few hours after the workout.
Weight lifting, on the other hand, builds muscles. Human body uses six calories each day to maintain one pound of muscle mass and two calories for one pound of fat. Therefore, the more muscle there is, the more calories are burned and the metabolism is higher.
Hydration
Keeping hydrated is very important for many reasons. When the body is dehydrated, the body cannot perform some important functions and it slows down the calorie burning process. Drinking plenty of water will prevent this and maintain normal metabolism rate. The ideal amount of water is six to eight tall glasses a day.
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