Many of us have been in this situation at some point in our life – we eat right and exercise, yet still can’t seem to shift those pounds. The culprit – your metabolism. As the body’s natural mechanism to burn calories, a person’s metabolic rate is also the reason why some women are able to eat whatever they want yet not gain an unsightly pound.
“The frustratingly simple explanation is that weight loss gets harder as we get older, in part because our metabolism slows with age. Research shows that in women, metabolism declines by an average of two per cent per decade, starting at the age of 20,”
– Dr. Oz (TV’s most famous doctor).
Simply put – a fast metabolism – like when you were younger – means more calories burned. The more you burn, the easier it is to lose weight. When this slows down, the process of losing weight takes longer.
“There are simple ways you can tweak your daily routine to counterbalance this natural dip,” – Dr. Oz.
Here are some of them:
HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE
A study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that people who drank coffee experienced an average 16% increase in their metabolic rate compared to those who didn’t. This is because coffee stimulates your central nervous system, increasing your heart rate and breathing, which in turn increases your metabolic rate.
DRINK COLD WATER
According to German researchers, drinking six cups of cold water a day can raise resting metabolic rate by about 50 calories daily, which is enough to shed five pounds a year. This is because of how hard your body has to work to heat the water to body temperature during consumption.
GO FOR SPICY FOOD
According to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, eating a tablespoon of chopped spicy red or green chillies will result in a temporary metabolic rate increase of 23%.
SIP ON GREEN TEA
Author, Tammy Lakotas Shames, calls green tea “the closest thing to a metabolism potion”. This is because green tea contains a plant compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning. A study showed that people who consumed up to five cups a day for 12 weeks decreased their body weight by 4.6%. Other studies also claim that consuming two to four cups of green tea a day could burn an extra 50 calories.
WORK OUT THE RIGHT WAY
First, mix things up at the gym. This, according to research, will help you stimulate a fat-burning response within the muscles, making your muscles stronger. People with more muscles have a higher metabolic rate. But, make sure you take things slow as well. This will increase the breakdown of muscle tissue, resulting in a boost of your metabolism rate when these muscles repair themselves.
EAT BREAKFAST
When it comes to your metabolism, this is the most important meal of the day. Says Barbara Rolls, author of The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan, “Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn’t rev back up until you eat again.” So, if you skip breakfast, your body loses precious hours in the morning when it could be burning calories! Aim for a high-fiber breakfast, which keeps you fuller for longer.