Step 1 - Eating the Right Amount of Calories can Boost up your Metabolism
To lose body fat and increase lean body mass, a good rule of thumb is 10 calories per pound of body weight. Although you need to monitor your calorie intake, do not consume fewer than 1,000 calories per day as this can severely hinder your metabolism by slowing it down and storing fat. To keep your metabolic rate revved up, eat five or six small meals throughout the day rather than two or three large meals; start with breakfast and try not to eat carbs late during the day. Eat smaller portions during meal times; the carbs should be the size of your fist when on your plate and accompanied with a rainbow color of vegetables.
Step 2- Eat Protein to Lose Weight
Protein needs to be very high on your agenda when aiming for weight loss. These macronutrients can boost your metabolism, preserve lean body mass, stops the citation of hunger and can help weight loss. Proteins require more energy in the body to break down and digest compared to fats/ carbs. Therefore, your resting metabolism is high, fat storing is reduced and an overall percentage body fat loss is evident. The recommended amount of protein for weight loss is about 0.9 g per kg of body weight. Proteins like turkey, chicken, pork, beef and fish are great metabolism booster foods and a typical 4-oz. serving of lean turkey breast contains 150 calories, 0 g of fat and 35g of protein. Research has indicated that your metabolism is twice as high after eating a high protein meal than one that is rich in carbs.
Step 3- Eat Your Greens
Some vegetables that are not starchy are important to add to your diet as they are good meal fillers, high in fiber, high in vitamins & minerals, low in calories and can boost your metabolism. Sprouts, spinach, broccoli, kale and chard are high in magnesium and potassium. These important minerals can keep your cells hydrated and help burn fat! There is evidence to suggest that cruciferous vegetables can help fight the xenoestrogens that your body is exposed to and it can decrease stubborn belly fat.
Step 4- Not all Fats are Bad
Your diet should still consist of 15% 'good fats' in terms of calories consumed. However, source your fat intake from good fats such as fatty fish, olive oils, nuts and flaxseeds. Lower your overall percentage intake of fat to around 10% if you feel your weight progress is slowing down. These oils and seeds can also help regulate the thyroid gland in boosting metabolism and burning fat; many individuals under estimate the power of hormones when losing weight
Fish such as mackerel, herring and tuna are high in omega three fatty acids. Research has indicated that omega three fatty acids can lower leptin hormone levels; leptin can impact metabolism by differentiating whether you burn calories or store fat. Consequently, lower levels of leptin equate to a higher metabolism and a lower fat storing mechanism.
Step 5- Drink Plenty of Water
Water is the essence of life and is vital for keeping healthy, metabolism and bodily functions. It is a pivotal in building lean body mass and burning fat because it maintains a low blood viscosity, helping oxygen/nutrient delivery to the working muscles. A lack of water will impede the body pumping blood to the muscles, due to the high blood viscosity caused by dehydration. It is a similar story for fat metabolism.
Water is required to burn fat and if you are not drinking enough, then expect to have an uphill battle to lose weight. Water can help you feel full and is in abundance in fruit and vegetables. Try to drink at least a gallon a day, not all at once though, spread it out across the day and use accordingly!
Step 6- Drink Green Tea
Green tea has a compound called epigallo catechin gallate (EGCG), which boosts your metabolism, increases weight loss via increasing body temperature, digestion and overall calories burned. This antioxidant contains caffeine, which increases your heart rate and fat burning properties. It is an excellent substitute for tea and coffee, and it does not require added sugars and sweeteners.
Step 7- Add Some Spice to your Diet
Another top tip is to add hot peppers, chili peppers to your stir fries or salads as these foods contain capsaicin. This compound increases your body temperature, stimulates the release of the stress hormone; consequently metabolism and the calorie burn is speeded up! A good bonus for your weight loss and adds some much needed taste to your dietary requirements.
Step 8 - Sleep Well
Sleep is important to maintain good overall health for optimal physical and mental performance. Sleep affects physical health, emotional well-being, mental sharpness, productivity and weight loss. Quality of sleep is just as important as quantity. Sleep deprivation can have a massive impact on our basal metabolic rate and not getting adequate sleep can reduce human growth hormones. Human growth hormones are required for increased body fat metabolism, improved energy conversion and enhanced energy levels.
Step 9- Train with Weights
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, and by pumping iron you will increase your muscle tone, lean muscle mass and overall calories burnt. While at the gym if you work the whole of your body using all of the major muscle groups with light weights, lots of reps and short rest intervals in between sets, then you will be burning calories in the gym and up to 24 hours after your weights session.
This whole body muscular endurance type of exercise is an absolute must for firing up your metabolism and burning fat. However, if you do not use weights or like gyms then you can use your own body weight at home, just follow the same training principles which have been discussed above!
Step 10- The Role of H.I.I.T for Fat loss
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is the training method that should be used to strip fat, improve muscle tone and improve general cardio vascular function. It only lasts for between 12-15 minutes, and can be performed anywhere using a variety of exercise modes e.g. sprinting, cycling, skipping etc. HIIT will burn the same amount of calories as running for 40-60 minutes in a fraction of the time, and you will be working at a much higher intensity and burn fat quicker. An additional bonus is that HIIT training is that it produces the 'after burn effect', which means that you will be burning calories 24 hours after you stop exercising.
