Metabolism and Weight Loss: How It Is Related and How to Increase It

Metabolism and Weight Loss: How It's Related and How to Increase It

Published on November 15, 2024

by Curvena Team

Ever feel like you can eat a salad and gain weight, while your friend devours burgers and stays slim? It all boils down to metabolism, the body's internal furnace that burns calories to fuel your every move. Understanding how metabolism works and how to increase it is a key to unlocking successful weight loss. So, let’s dive into the fascinating world of metabolism and how you can use diet and lifestyle changes to give it a boost!

What is Metabolism and How do you Calculate it?

Imagine your metabolism as a complex furnace constantly burning calories. From breathing and thinking to digesting food and exercising, all these activities require energy, which comes from the calories you consume. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Before diving into how to increase your metabolism, it’s important to find a way to measure our metabolic rate. While there’s no single definite way to measure your metabolic rate with complete accuracy, online tools such as metabolic rate calculators can give you a general idea. These metabolic rate calculators typically require information such as your age, height, weight, and gender.

For example, the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is widely regarded as one of the most accurate methods for calculating BMR:

How to Calculate BMR For Men:

BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5

How to Calculate BMR For Women:

BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161

Calculating your metabolism using a metabolic rate calculator is a great first step toward better weight management. Once you have your BMR, you can use it as a foundation to estimate your daily calorie needs and plan how to increase your metabolism.

Does Metabolism Affect Weight Loss?

Absolutely! Your metabolic rate is a significant player in your weight loss journey. A higher metabolic rate means you burn more calories throughout the day, even at rest. This creates a calorie deficit, where you burn more calories than you consume, leading to weight loss. Conversely, a slower metabolism burns fewer calories at rest, making it harder to lose weight and easier to gain it.

If you're looking to lose or maintain a healthy weight, understanding how to increase metabolism is essential. By implementing lifestyle changes and incorporating foods that boost metabolism and burn fat, you can enhance your ability to shed pounds!

6 Tips to Increase Metabolism?

The good news is that even though factors like genetics and age influence your metabolic rate, there are ways to give it a healthy boost! Here are some practical strategies on how to increase metabolic rate:

1. Build Muscle Mass

Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. Incorporating strength training exercises into your routine can help increase your muscle mass, making it an important step in planning how to increase metabolic rate. Aim for at least two to three 20 to 30-minute strength training sessions a week, targeting all major muscle groups.

Pro Tip: If traditional weightlifting feels daunting, consider incorporating bodyweight exercises or exploring innovative solutions like EMSHAPE Body Sculpting Treatment & Fat Reduction from Curvena. EMSHAPE uses electromagnetic muscle stimulation to induce powerful muscle contractions, helping you build muscle and potentially boost your metabolism in a comfortable, non-invasive way.

2. Embrace Movement

Exercise isn't just about burning calories during the workout itself. Physical activity, especially high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can elevate your metabolic rate for hours after exercising, helping you burn more calories throughout the day. Think brisk walks, cycling, swimming, or dancing – find activities you enjoy and get your body moving!

3. Stay Hydrated

Water plays a crucial role in many bodily functions, including metabolism. Even mild dehydration can slightly decrease your metabolic rate. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps your body function optimally and may boost your metabolic rate.

4. Don’t Skip Meals

Skipping meals might seem like a quick way to cut calories, but it has the opposite effect. When you deprive your body of food, it goes into "starvation mode" and slows your metabolism to conserve energy. Eating regular, balanced meals throughout the day can be one of the effective ways to increase metabolism.

5. Get Enough Sleep

When you're sleep-deprived, your body produces more stress hormones like cortisol, which can negatively impact your metabolism. As one of the tips on how to increase metabolism, aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night to keep your hormones balanced and even help burn calories while sleeping!

6. Manage Stress

Chronic stress can also increase cortisol production, potentially slowing your metabolism. Finding healthy ways to manage stress, such as yoga, meditation, or spending time in nature, is a great option for planning how to increase metabolism.

Recommended Foods to Boost Metabolism

Certain foods can directly impact your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories and support your weight loss goals. If you're looking for food to increase metabolism, these are great options:

1. Protein-Rich Foods

Foods like chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy are all high in protein, which not only enhances the thermic effect of food but also serves as an excellent choice of food to increase metabolism. Incorporating these into your meals will help your body burn more calories during digestion.

2. Spicy Foods

Chilli peppers contain capsaicin, a compound known to increase calorie burning and fat oxidation. Adding a little spice to your meals can give your metabolism a temporary boost, making them one of the foods that boost metabolism and burn fat.

3. Green Tea and Coffee

When planning how to increase your metabolic rate, green tea and coffee can be a great option as they both contain caffeine, a natural stimulant that may speed up your metabolism. Drinking a cup of green tea or coffee in the morning can give your metabolism a boost that lasts throughout the day!

4. Whole Grains

Whole grains such as oats, quinoa, and brown rice require more energy for your body to break down compared to processed grains. They also help to keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent metabolic slowdowns.

These are some excellent foods that boost metabolism and burn fat while providing essential nutrients and fibre. Incorporating these foods to increase metabolism into your daily diet can support your weight loss efforts and keep your body in fat-burning mode.

Enhancing Your Metabolism for Weight Loss

When it comes to achieving your weight loss goals, understanding your metabolism is key. By making small changes to your lifestyle and diet, you will be able to make plans on how to increase your metabolic rate and improve your body’s ability to burn calories. Whether it’s through regular strength training, eating foods that boost metabolism and burn fat, or incorporating HIIT workouts into your routine, there are many ways to increase metabolism.

If you’re looking for a more guided and customised approach to improving your metabolism, Curvena has a range of services designed to help you achieve your goals! One of our standout options is the Photon Rays Capsule for Weight Loss & Stubborn Fats, which uses advanced light technology to enhance metabolic functions and promote fat burning. This service, combined with healthy lifestyle changes and dietary improvements, can be a game-changer in your weight loss journey!

Understanding how to increase metabolic rate is within your reach, and Curvena is here to support you every step of the way!

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