I've been reading articles about how a faster metabolism aids in weight loss, makes exercise more efficient, etc. and I understand all the information EXCEPT how do you actually go about increasing your metabolism?
I know about products like metabolife and the sort.. but I don't want to take ANY supplements (other than my multivitamin). I have prescription meds and want to avoid interactions.
Anyone know how to naturally increase metabolism???
Increase exercise, which will both use calories directly and build muscle mass which uses more calories even at rest.
For the best general fitness results, include some resistance training (e.g. with weights, bodyweight exercises, and/or resistance bands) that work your larger muscles (chest, back, legs). For example, you can work your chest muscles with pushups and dips, work your back muscles with pullups and rows, and work your leg muscles with squats. Increase repetitions and weight as you get stronger and fitter; there are also more difficult variants to move up to as well.
Adding muscle will increase your metabolism even while resting, because muscle is metabolically active and fat is not. Exercise of any sort will increase metabolism during the exercise and to a certain extent in after-burn. Resistance training has more after-burn effect than cardio, but both have some.
Green tea has natural metabolism boosting effects. Drinking cold water also has a negative calorie effect, and will make all your body processes more efficient if you are properly hydrated, including your metabolism.
There are supplements that won't interact with your meds.. Gymnema, chromium, green tea (capsules), CINNAMON (capsules, those are great), apple cider vinegar (also have capsules) etc. You can do research about them with your specific meds. They worked for me over a period of months.. Also, exercise is great, as another poster mentioned I believe.. and lastly, LOSING WEIGHT. I know that sounds kind of obvious, but I lost about 65-70 lbs. over the course of a year or so, and my metabolism went through the roof. First time in my life. I couldn't believe that I could eat a burger and not gain weight.. over time, it came back down, but for a good 6 months, I was on cloud 9. )
Last edited by mod-anon; 06-24-2010 at 11:26 PM.
Reason: removed quote
You can naturally increase metabolism by eating a healthy source of protein with every meal plus 2 snacks. The protein source should be half animal based and half plant based. Moderate exercise, like walking, and weight training is also important. Every pound of muscle burns 14 calories a day and keeps your metabolism fired all day.
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