Kick start a sluggish metabolism with these 7 tips!

Kick start a sluggish metabolism with these 7 tips!

When we talk about the term metabolism, we are really talking about our basal metabolic rate, or the minimum number of calories needed each day for the body to complete its normal functions. Use these 7 tips to increase the amount of calories that your body burns at rest, and help your metabolism work at its prime. Having an efficient metabolism helps you feel more energetic, active and can make losing/maintaining weight easier.

1. Do more heavy lifting: Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so add weight training to your workout routine to elevate your metabolism long after you’ve finished your workout.
2. Eat protein in the AM and PM: Aim for protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Protein promotes the growth and maintenance of muscle, and is slightly harder to break down and process within your body, yielding a temporary boost in metabolism.
3. Dial back your work stress: Stress can change the way your body metabolizes fats, reducing the benefits of a healthy meal. One study showed that women who were under higher stress burned 104 fewer calories in response to a higher-fat meal than women who were not stressed.
4. Snack before bedtime: The right bedtime snack will boost your metabolism while keeping your blood sugar levels stable.
5. Hit the sheets early: When you do not get enough sleep, your metabolism is disrupted and misreads hunger signals, causing an increase in appetite and the tendency to overeat.
6. Move, move, and move some more: If you exercise for one hour, but then sit for the other 23 hours, you’re keeping your metabolism at a stall. Stand at your desk, take walk breaks, stretch, and add movement to your day as much as possible to keep your metabolism high.
7. Stop Counting & Restricting Calories: Restricting calories actually slows metabolism, so make sure to load your plate with lean protein, healthy fats, and lots of fruits/veggies to help your body burn calories rather than conserve them.

Source: Health

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