8 Simple Tips for a Metabolic Boost

Gaining weight can be far too easy at times, and losing it... Well, that's not exactly easy. When weight loss inevitably slows down, it's probably because you need a metabolic boost to kick things back into high gear...

A healthy diet takes a lot of planning, and it can be easily derailed if you don't do it right. Even with all the dedication and grit in the world, the longer and harder you diet, the more likely your metabolism is to slow down. Your body is always going to try to reach some sort of equilibrium, but there are some fairly simple ways to get a metabolic boost to help reach your get-lean goals.

This first tip should absolutely go without saying, but we're saying it anyway€¦ Losing weight takes more than just watching what you eat and cutting calories. Increase your calorie burning for a metabolic boost with increased exercise.

Walking, jogging, and biking are all fine activities, but don't discount the weights when it comes to shedding fat. Every pound of muscle you add to your body can help you naturally burn up to 50 more calories per day at rest. And while cardiovascular exercise helps burn calories while you're doing the work, resistance exercise and interval training can boost your metabolism for hours afterward.

Water consumption throughout the day is crucial regardless of your weight goals, and drinking enough of it can give you a metabolic boost, too. Plus, drinking some water before meals can help curb your appetite so you eat less and avoid binging on your favorites.

Whether it's from coffee, tea, or metabolism-boosting weight loss and energy supplements, caffeine can stoke your metabolism, curb your appetite, and help keep you going when calories are low. Most naturally caffeinated beverages also have plenty of antioxidants, and that's especially true if you use green tea which has EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), known to promote weight loss as well as provide you with other numerous health benefits.

Don't let the people who complain about their boring diets deter you from planning your own menu. Food doesn't have to be bland when it comes to losing weight. Hot sauces are a great way to spice up your food and keep things interesting while providing a metabolic boost thanks to capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot.

Protein from healthy food sources has numerous benefits when you're trying to lose weight. Quality protein builds new muscle (anabolism) and stops you from wasting the muscle (catabolism) you already have when dieting, but it also keeps you feeling full longer, increases thermogenesis, and expends more energy (metabolism) than fats or carbohydrates.

Exercise isn't the only movement you should incorporate to lose weight. In fact, non-exercise activity has even more potential to boost your metabolism in the grand scheme of things. All movement and activity will get your heart rate up and your blood flowing, so go ahead and fidget while you're at your desk or during any downtime. Better yet, if you can stand up while you work or study, do it! Also make it a point to park a little farther away from your destination, take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk on the escalator is your only choice, and do anything else you can to move around during your downtime.

Not only does laughter make you feel great, relieve stress, and improve your overall sense of well-being, it also burns calories, so laugh more! Plus, there's no better feeling ab workout than laughing hard.

As tempting as it is to drop your calories extremely low to speed things up, don't do anything drastic. Many people assume that if they simply go on a crash diet, they'll lose weight in a hurry. The reality is the opposite. Crash dieting can create metabolic damage and cause you to lose lean tissue while holding onto body fat, so you might lose ""weight"" but end up looking skinny-fat instead of toned and healthy. Cut back slowly and always eat healthfully. The number on a scale isn't worth sacrificing your health for. Above all, when you're trying to get a metabolic boost to lose weight, set a realistic goal. Make it tough enough to be worth it, but not so far out there that you'll want to resort to unhealthy approaches. The whole idea is to get to a weight that's healthy for both your mind and body, so stay nourished, be active, and enjoy the results of all your hard work."