4 Tips For a Faster Metabolism

1. Eat more food.

The more food you eat the faster your metabolism will be. This has to be taken in context. Yes, if you are overweight and eat a lot your metabolism will be much higher than somebody who eats 1200 calories per day but that is not an ideal situation. Your body will adapt to the amount of fuel you give it. If you eat less it will burn less calories.

It will also burns less calories during exercise . Studies show that people who are at a caloric deficit will burn less calories per minute during exercise. If you usually burn 9 calories per minute running you may now burn 7 calories per minute . That’s not fun.

The trick is to eat as many calories as possible while still being at our ideal weight. Don’t eat 1200 calories because “it works” if you can eat 1800 calories and still maintain your ideal weight, eat that many calories. Same for men – don’t eat 1800 calories when you could be eating 2400 calories. This is why it’s best to hire a professional to help you. We create a customized plan for your metabolism and goals and help you adjust the plan as you progress to stay on track with your goals.

I know men are guilty of this as well. We often hear about women underrating but weight and body composition concerns are real for men including athletes. Men, you are not alone. Many of you feel the same way but it hasn’t been normalized to talk about it .

This is where practices such as diet breaks and reverse dieting can be very helpful. We implement evidence backed programs to get your metabolism back to where it should be so you can see the changes you expect to see with your nutrition programming.

Hiring an experienced nutritionist who can guide you through this process is key for success in increasing your metabolism with food. Our coaches are experienced in all areas of metabolism including diet breaks, reverse dieting, female athlete triad (RED-S), hypothyroidism and eating for performance. We can guide you through the process of eating more calories to look, feel and perform better.

2. Eat More Protein to get a faster metabolism

Protein is the most satiating macronutrient because it can lower appetite stimulating hormones as well as increase serotonin . This results in a regulation of blood sugar and less food cravings. One study shows an 25% increase in protein intake resulted in 60% less night snacking. Another study showed high protein breakfast reduced cravings and late night snacking in teenage girls.

What’s actually happening? Eating protein helps lower the hormone that raises blood sugar after eating carbs. This is why we often recommend eating a protein with a carb source to regulate blood sugar and hunger. Some examples of this are cheese with crackers, almond butter with apples or pretzels and jerky .

Another reason protein can help weight loss is due to its thermogenic effect. Our body burns calories to digest food and protein requires the most calories to break it down. The thermal effect of protein is almost double carbs.

You can burn upwards of 100 calories more per day just digesting the protein you are eating. One study even showed an increase of 260 calories from eating more protein. A study done on having a protein shake before bed showed increase in fat loss in most of the participants. They had only whey protein in this shake, nothing else. I’d be aware of the time you have this shake, eating too close to bed time can disrupt your sleep and cause a stall in weight loss. Try to have protein 2 hours before you go to sleep.

3. Build Muscle to get a faster metabolism

mean weightlifting — weight lifting to build muscle

This is a controversial conversation amongst researchers. They often say “if the diet is immaculate studies only show an increase of 40 calories per day “ but an experienced practitioner such as myself will say – yes, muscle it does increase your metabolism but it’s not a magic solution on its own.

The reality is that on average every pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day at rest. Fat burns about 2 calories per day. It can be a significant amount more when you change your body composition. If you lost 15 pounds of fat and gained 15 pounds of muscle your would burn and extra 60 calories per day. That doesn’t sound like a lot but It’s not easy to gain 15 pounds of muscle, the work it takes to gain that muscle will probably cause most of the weight loss.

Exercise is the best way to burn calories and the more muscle you have will probably lead to a more exercise and more active lifestyle long term which leads to burning more calories daily. In the big picture having more muscle will lead to a faster metabolism but not simply by having the muscle on your body.

4. Focus on your NEAT to get a faster metabolism

Neat is Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis – this is an area that lot of people struggled with over the past 8 months since COVID 19 hit and we have been stuck at home. Our activity levels dropped from less commuting, less social activity, less movement overall. Add to that the depression which kicked in for a lot of people and some of us went from 300 calories per day. To 90 calories of NEAT or average 10,000 steps to 4,000 steps.

My suggestion is to be aware of the activity you do outside of the gym. An hour per day working out is great but if you sit at your desk the rest of the day it’s not enough . Schedule times to take a walk around the block or even your house. Get up and get water, walk for 5 mins. Stand and pace while you are on phone calls. Clean your house more, get on a spin bike or treadmill while watching sports. There’s little ways to give your metabolism that boost! See my prior post on NEAT metabolism to find out more about this.

SUMMARY

The best way to increase your metabolism isn’t from one quick answer. It’s a combination of choosing the right foods (protein heavy) building more muscle and having an overall more active lifestyle.

Keep in mind – this can all happen in stages. Nobody says you have to eat a high protein diet, lift weights five days per week and walk 10,000 steps starting tomorrow. Set small goals and work your way up to a faster metabolism and more active lifestyle. Hire a professional to help you map our the plan that is ideal for your lifestyle and goals . We know the science and we can help hold you accountable and progress you along the way as you continue on your journey. It’s not easy and nobody expects you to do it on your own.

I understand muscle may only burn an extra 60 calories per day or eating protein will only increase your metabolism by 100 calories but I also understand human behavior and that adding these calories up per day leads to long term changes in. Your metabolism. I’ll take an extra 200 calories per day plus less cravings and more muscle which will make exercising easier and my body look better.

Check out our body transformation packages or nutrition coaching to help you get on your way to a faster metabolism and body you have always wanted.