Maximize your metabolism to avoid weight gain and negative health consequences after the holiday season is over. Let’s be honest; the holiday season is all about food and lots of it. The entire fitness regime and good habits go out of the window.
Once a year, you let your guard down and feast on whatever you can get your hands on. However, the moment you get past the New Year, shedding those extra pounds is the most common New Year’s resolution amongst the masses. If you are one of many and wish to get back on track, this post is for you.
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism refers to the rate at which a body burns calories. This rate varies from person to person and depends on your age, sex, body weight, muscle mass, and genetics. While the metabolism rate of your body may not be fully in your control, there are ways you can master maximizing your metabolism.
10 Ways to Maximize Your Metabolism
Here are 10 ways to maximize your metabolism to burn away the holiday season calories.
#1 –Drinking More Water
Staying hydrated at all times will benefit your metabolism. Therefore, drink at least 8 glasses of water every day as this will burn more calories compared to those who drink less water. It is also advisable to drink water before each meal and add high water foods to your daily diet, including fruits and vegetables.
#2 – Drinking Coffee
Although a short-term booster, drinking tea and coffee can increase your metabolic rate to burn calories. However, it is not a long-term solution to maximize your metabolism, and you must combine it with other useful tactics such as working out.
#3 – Do not Skip Meals
Skipping your meals will also slow down your metabolism. Therefore, you must organize your day to have 3 healthy meals in a day at regular intervals. You must plan to ensure that you are putting in healthy nutrients in your body. You can also keep healthy snacks handy if you do not fancy having a full meal.
#4 – Eating Breakfast
Kick start your day with a healthy breakfast, as this will jump-start your metabolism after an overnight fasting period. Skipping your breakfast or not eating for long hours will force your body to reduce the metabolic rate in order to conserve energy.
So, if you wish to maximize your metabolism, have a good breakfast. This will also prevent you from making bad food choices when you feel peckish during the day.
#5 – Increasing Your Muscle Mass
Your muscle tissues burn more calories than any other fat. Therefore, it is best for you to hit the gym for resistance training and add a bit of muscle to your body frame, as it will help maximize your metabolism.
Resistance training will also sculpt and tone your body and not result in excessive bulkiness, especially in women.
#6 – Protein is the King
Your body requires more energy to burn and digest proteins. This means your metabolism will be working harder to break down the protein.
Therefore, if you wish to maximize your metabolism function, add more protein to your diet. Plus, even a small amount of protein tends you make you feel fuller for a longer duration. Eat beans, chicken, fish, and soy protein to incorporate a protein-based diet into your daily routine.
#7 – Sleep to Maximize your Metabolism
Sleep is just as important as eating and working out. Studies prove that those who sleep less tend to put on weight. If you wish to maximize your metabolism, it is time to ensure that you get a night of proper sleep. You may not know, but you tend to eat more due to tiredness.
Boost your metabolic rate by developing a daily routine to hit the bed and wake up at a certain time on a daily basis.
#8 – Spicing Up the Meals to Maximize Your Metabolism
Another way to boost your metabolic rate for a short time is to add chili to your meals. Therefore, if you are a fan of spicy food, there is no harm in including a bit of hot flavor in your meals daily.
#9 – Snacking Helps
While you may think that snacking is a bad habit and results in obesity, it is only when you overdo it consistently. Having a small snack in between meals can actually help you maximize your metabolism and burn more calories. The idea is to keep your body’s metabolism active at all times to continue burning that stubborn body fat and calories reserves.
If you snack on a daily basis, you will be eating fewer calories in your meals because you will feel fuller after eating a small portion. However, if you are trying to lose weight, you must strike a balance between snacking and regular meal portions.
This means, if you are snacking between meals, you must reduce your meal sizes to ensure that you do not overeat.
Furthermore, do not just eat any snack but make healthy snack choices to ensure an intake of moderate calories. The snacks you eat must offer some healthy nutritional value. Commercial snack food such as crisps and biscuits are high in calories and fat and offer little nutritional benefits.
#10 – Working Out To Maximize Your Metabolism
If you have not workout in a while or have never tried it, the post-holiday season is the best time to give up a sedentary lifestyle. If slacking off over the last few months has resulted in weight gain, it is time for you to maximize your metabolism and shed those calories off of you.
Why not find motivation by teaming up with a family member or friend. You can indulge in some healthy, fun fitness challenges and compete to win by tracking each other’s performance on GymBet.
For instance, you can start a cardio fitness workout to burn calories as well as maximize your metabolism for a couple of hours after your workout. Another way to boost your metabolic rate is a high-intensity workout.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about maximizing your metabolism, adapt a healthy diet along with a fitness regime to suit your goals. Ask a family member, friend, or colleague to join and buck up each other to reach your body goals. You can use apps such as GymBet to create challenges for each other, track each other’s performance and even compete for cash that you put in a pot for the winner to take it all.
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