Boost your Metabolism – 4 Simple ways to Get Your Metabolism Back in Action

The aim of my last post regarding metabolism was to debunk the top myths about how metabolism affects your weight loss and that no single food has magical fat burning powers or metabolism boosting effects. As I’ve mentioned previously, a large number of people blame their metabolism for weight gain but unfortunately it is simply the result of eating more calories than burning them. So what do we do?

Here is my advice on ways to give your metabolism a kick start without spending a fortune on magical pills or foods that are bound to disappoint!

1. Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast!

I have come across many who skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight. This can actually have the opposite effect and lead to weight gain in the long term! The ultimate kick start to your day happens after breakfast where your brain starts to function properly. Also, you can think of breakfast as fuel for your body to start burning the calories and get your metabolism going.  It also makes it easier for you to follow a healthy eating routine for the rest of the day by making you less likely to crave sweets or junk food before lunch. Breakfast is one of the easiest meals of the day to prepare and you could always maintain variety! Here are a few breaky suggestions:

  • Toasted raisin bread with a scrape of margarine.
  • Wholegrain toast with light cream cheese/ricotta or jam.
  • Chopped/ tinned fruit (in natural juice) with low fat yoghurt.
  • Granola bar with low fat yoghurt.
  • Baked beans on wholegrain toast.
  • Low sugar & fat high fibre cereal with low fat milk.
  • Natural low fat muesli with low fat milk or yoghurt.

2. Get active by doing some exercise & weight training.

Simply put, exercise and weight training will set you on track for successful weight loss. Dieting without exercise can deplete your muscle tissue stores. Studies show that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Your target is to burn body fat and to work on light strength and weight training to increase muscle stores in order to keep your metabolic rate high. Start planning your activity by setting goals for yourself. Aim for 45 mins of activity 4 times per week. Different activities to incorporate include:

  • Jogging, walking, cycling, swimming.
  • Push ups, sit-ups, lunges, squats.
  • Yoga, Pilates, “ toning” classes.
  • Using weight machines, bar bells or resistance bands.

3. Never skip meals or starve yourself.

Those who are strict dieters should know that skipping meals & reducing your body’s calorie intake dramatically slows down metabolism. Your body basically goes into a state of impending starvation and starts to slow metabolism in order to conserve calories. So think twice about skipping breakfast or lunch if you’re trying to lose weight. You’re probably just slowing your metabolic rate down and are missing out on chances to boost the number of calories you burn.

4.  Have small frequent meals in order to suppress your hunger levels.

I usually advise people to try and avoid going for more than four hours without a meal. This helps control your hunger where you are less likely to go completely out of control with portion size. So try to have healthy snacks around whether in your bag or desk drawer to keep you going till lunch or dinner. A lot of you would get back home absolutely starving and would have a huge calorie intake at dinner-time! My advice is never get to that stage!

Now instead of going for those so called metabolism boosting fads to loose weight, why not start by including those 4 simple suggestions into your lifestyle?

3 Comments
  1. An individual continually compose probably the most exciting reports. Therefore you always appear to take bad/boring elements plus convert them directly into exciting/interesting stuff. I’m your audience for life-long!

  2. I have been dieting for the last couple of months and have not lost any weight. I eat very healthy no sugar or processed foods. Lots of vegies and fruit and protein. I;m walking 4kms and riding a exercise bike 10 kms a day what am i doing wrong please help.

    • Dear Jacaline,
      A few things that I would suggest:
      * If possible, get an accurate body composition analyses done in order to see what your muscle to fat ratio is. A very common result of excessive exercising is building muscle mass, losing fat = not much weight loss seen on the scales!
      * Apart from food choices, look at your portions, especially looking at how big the last meal of the day is (should be the smallest)
      * If you feel that you’ve done everything, you could consult a dietitian in person for further help. Also, I would rule out any problems with your thyroid which may hinder weight loss.
      Feel free to drop an email should you have any further questions.
      nutritionaz@gmail.com

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