The speed at which the body burns calories is affected by metabolism, which fluctuates depending on the type of foods eaten and kinds of activity the body sustains. In the world of fitness and health, the body can be compared to a machine with metabolism representing the engine that keeps people moving along – it constantly burns calories whether a person is sleeping, eating, or playing a game of Monopoly.
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A higher metabolism helps people maintain a lower percentage of body fat because muscles utilize more calories than fat does. Individuals with a slower metabolic rate often struggle with their weight because fat storage how many calories should you eat during intermittent fasting is more likely to occur. Usually, younger people possess a faster metabolism because their cells experience increased activity throughout the day. As one ages, the need and effort to increase metabolism becomes much greater.
Causes for Low Metabolism
A handful of causes influence the level at which the body metabolizes calories. Low metabolism generally surfaces when a person is fasting; eating or drinking too many sugary foods and beverages; following a low calorie diet; ignoring daily exercise; and possessing an underactive thyroid. Snacking throughout the day on foods with a high sugar content is another way that metabolism slows down. This includes candy, sodas, cakes, and cookies. While there are numerous causes that affect the metabolic rate of a body, an individual may also follow a few approaches towards improving or speeding up their metabolism.
Below you will find ten ways to boost metabolism through exercise and food:
1) Skipping meals throughout the day only deprives the body of much-needed fuel that keeps metabolism at a desirable rate. One of the worst things one can do in terms of eating is to skip breakfast, which is responsible for supplying the body with an effective metabolic jumpstart for the rest of the day.
2) Daily exercise is needed to keep the cells active. There are plenty of ways to increase the amount of activity that the body receives and every bit helps. For instance, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work helps people stretch the legs and keep the blood pumping.
3) Light weight training helps the body development muscles, which burns more calories than fat. Muscles also help increase a body's metabolic rate. Some of the best results come when weight lifting takes place for at least 30 minutes per day for about five days per week.
4) When following a diet, it is suggested to avoid the consumption of alcohol; lessen the intake of sugar; and stay away from fasting. All of these things lead to a slower metabolism.
5) To boost metabolism, one should concentrate on eating foods known to burn more calories. Green vegetables and other fibrous foods make great low calorie selections, such as green beans, salad vegetables, cauliflower, asparagus, and broccoli. A few fruits to consider include grapefruit, lemons, blackberries, and pumpkins.
6) Increasing the amount of lean protein that comes from solid foods is recommended because of the thermogenic fat-burning potential they possess, which includes chicken breast, turkey breast, venison, elk, bison, buffalo, shellfish, egg whites, lean sirloin, top round, and almost any type of fish.
7) Natural starchy carbohydrates and grains, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oats, helps boost metabolism.
8) Daily cardiovascular activity is essential for keeping the metabolism moving throughout the day and also helps burn fat. At least 30 to 45 minutes of cardio is suggested, as it usually takes the body about 30 minutes of continuous physical activity to tap into fat storage.
9) The best time to increase metabolism and burn fat [] is in the morning (before a full breakfast is eaten) because the body is well rested and ready to move.
10) For a quick boost in metabolism, foods that contain the chemical called capsaicin (found in habanero sauces, cayenne peppers, and jalapenos) is known to boost the metabolism.
Eating healthy and exercising are two of the greatest weight loss solutions and nutritionists, dieticians, and other health experts agree upon it. Calorie counting is also considered an important way of being knowledgeable of what is in the foods you eat. You would be given an idea as to what is really important for the body and what it does not need. Remember that anything more than the needed amount of calorie will result to being overweight or obese.
Counting calorie or energy is a flexible way of dieting since it can accommodate almost any lifestyle, tastes, and likes. There are actually no forbidden foods as long as you are doing the math of the calories you are consuming and at the same time burning. The rule of thumb is you have to eat lesser calories than what your body actually burns daily. If you want to learn how you can lose weight by counting your energy intake and loss, then read these guidelines:
First, you need to figure out how much exactly do you need and how much you should be burning so that you can maintain your ideal weight. For women, the average calorie intake should be around 2000 while men would be more since they are very muscular and they are bigger; 2500 is the ideal amount for men. To lose weight, you have to consume fewer calories than how much you burn. If you want to lose a pound a week, then you should eat at least 500 calories lesser than what you need. If you eat less than a thousand calories daily than what you need, then you lose two pounds in a week and so on and so forth.
What happens is, when your body does not have enough calories to burn, it turns to your fat deposits for energy source. It is obvious what happens next; you lose more fat and eventually lose weight.