Your Basic Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy your body needs to function at rest. If you boost your metabolism you will naturally burn more calories in a day and will therefore: loose weight or enable yourself to eat more, and who doesn't want that!?
1. Drink more water
Health authorities commonly recommend drinking 2 litres of water every day to lose weight as this not only boosts your metabolism but you will also make you feel fuller and therefore eat less. Studies have shown that drinking 500ml of water increases your metabolism by 10-30% for about an hour. To put this into perspective, a person burning 40 calories an hour would then burn between 50 to 70 calories. In one day thats about 200 more calories burnt every day!
2. Drink caffeine
By drinking 1 or 2 cups of coffee a day you can increase your resting metabolic rate by 3-11%. This effect has shown to be greater in younger individuals.
3. Increase Your Muscle Mass
By going to the gym and increasing the amount of muscle you have, your body is forced to utilise more energy to fuel your muscles during the day. You should never be scared of ifting weights because you don't want to get bulky. Getting bulky takes extreme weight lifting, huge portions of food and a-lot of time.
4. Eat more Protein
Eating more protein in a day will help boost your metabolism by 15-30%. It can also help make you feel fuller for longer and help you gain more muscle which will ultimately also help you boost your metabolic rate! It is recommended that you should have about 0.4 to 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight (thats 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram). Example: A 120 pound person would eat 120 x 0.5 = 60 grams of protein every day. Good examples of protein foods are chicken, eggs, beef, dairy products and beans.
5. Sleep Well
A good night sleep is very important in increasing metabolism. Sleep deprivation has shown to alter hormones that a responsible for regulating metabolism and increase appetite. It is recommended to get a good 8 hours sleep every night. Not only will it increase your metabolism but it will make you fell happier and healthier!
