5 Ways to Raise Your Metabolic Rate

Metabolic boost

Anyone trying to lose weight will be able to make their efforts much easier if they can increase their metabolic rate. The metabolic rate is the rate at which your body converts food into energy. The higher your metabolic rate, the more energy your cells will consume.

Children have high metabolic rates, which is why they're normally full of energy. As we get older though, our metabolic rates will start to slow down, which makes it much more difficult stay thin than it used to. This is why most people will start to pile on the pounds when they get older, unless they stay active.

There are, fortunately, some completely natural methods which you can use to increase your metabolic rate. By doing this, you will be able to shed your excess weight as quickly as possible. Here are five methods you can use to increase your metabolic rate:

1. Take Cold Showers

Cold showers might not be very comfortable, but they are actually good for your body. To make them slightly more bearable, shower in normal temperature water and then give yourself an occasional blast of cold water. By taking cold showers you can improve your circulation and also speed up your metabolism.

2. Don't Skip Meals

When you're trying to lose weight, it can seem like a good idea to skip meals. However, if you skip meals it can slow down your metabolism, which will make it harder to lose weight. Make sure that you eat three balanced meals every day. Breakfast is a very important meal that you shouldn't ever skip. Breakfast will kick start your metabolism and set you up for the day.

3. Eat Lean Protein

Your body needs protein every day, but you should make sure that it's lean. Good examples of lean protein include skinless chicken or turkey. Try to make lean protein around 30 percent of your daily food intake. This is an important step, because it will help to boost your metabolism, even when you're sleeping.

4. Weight Training

Take up weight training. This will help to build the size of your muscles, which will in turn mean that your body burns more energy. Weight training can increase your resting metabolic rate by as much as 15 percent, which will help you to burn calories even when you're not doing anything.

Using free weights is a more efficient way of increasing your metabolism. These are also easier to do than using exercise machines, because you don't need any expensive equipment.

5. Fidget

Studies have shown that people who fidget will normally be thinner. This is because fidgeting can help to increase your metabolic rate, which will burn more energy and prevent you from putting on excessive weight. Fidgeting can be anything from moving your feet or tapping your fingers. This is easier than doing a workout, and can help you to stay thin.