Many of us are quick to blame our metabolisms for our weight. We think to ourselves, “I wish I didn’t have such a slow metabolism.”

And while we each have different metabolisms, we can still do things to improve them and ensure they’re working for us and not against us.

To get a better understanding, metabolism is the process through which our bodies transform the food we consume into the energy necessary for survival.

This complex biochemical process combines calories with oxygen to release the energy our bodies need for various functions, including breathing, circulating blood, hormone regulation, and cellular repair and growth.

The amount of energy, or calories, used by our bodies for these fundamental activities is referred to as our basal metabolic rate (BMR), often referred to as our metabolism.

By boosting our metabolisms we will burn calories faster, which makes it easier to create and maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss. Let’s look at ways we can give our metabolism a boost.

Increase Muscle Mass

As men, this is one of the biggest advantages we have in weight loss: the ability to build muscle. Building muscle is one of the most effective strategies to boost our metabolisms.

Muscle is metabolically more active than fat tissue, meaning it burns more calories than fat, even when we are at rest. Hitting the weights three times per week can help you get stronger and build muscle, which leads to a higher BMR.

Eat Plenty of Protein

In conjunction with building muscle, diet plays a crucial role in improving our metabolisms, with protein-rich foods taking center stage. Consuming an adequate amount of protein not only ensures you’ll be able to build muscle, but it requires more energy for your body to digest and process than fats or carbohydrates.

The energy used to process food, especially protein, is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It involves all processes necessary for digestion, absorption, and processing of nutrients.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep doesn’t usually come to mind when people think about losing weight. However, the importance of sleep cannot be overstated. 

A lack of sleep has been shown to increase the risk of obesity and diabetes¹. Sleep loss impacts you and your weight loss journey in a few ways:

• Dysregulation of systems that control appetite
• Lower energy levels and reduced activity
• Less opportunity for muscle recovery and repair

By not getting enough sleep, you hinder your metabolism, your ability to build muscle, and your ability to lose weight.

Get Active

Being active doesn’t require workouts, only that you get more movement in your day. You can help your metabolism simply by going for a few walks. If you can add 30 – 45 minutes of walking per day, you will do yourself a lot of good.

We can get a lot of movement in by just playing with our kids and walking the dog. Through the spring and summer, yard work is a good excuse for movement, too. Just find ways to move more, especially if you work an office job like me.

Eat Small, Frequent Meals

The frequency and size of your meals can also affect your metabolism. Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day can keep your metabolism consistently engaged. I typically eat 5 “meals” per day: the usual three meals and two snacks.

Eating smaller meals more often can help avoid the afternoon energy slumps in addition to supporting your metabolism.

Drink Cold Water

The key word here is cold. Like ice cold. The idea here is that the cold water cools you down and causes your body to work harder to warm you and the water up.

At best, the effect is only temporary. The impact on your metabolism, while present, is likely to be minimal. Either way, there is nothing wrong with drinking more water, in general.

Hydration can only help improve our metabolisms.

Drink Green Tea

Certain beverages, like green tea, have been found to modestly increase metabolic rates. In one study, a group was asked to drink four cups of green tea per day for two months and the results were significant². This group saw reductions in weight, waist size, and body mass index readings.

However, the group that drank only two cups per day did not receive these benefits. Four cups of green tea is a lot and not likely to be a sustainable method for boosting your metabolism.

Eat Spicy Foods

Again, this one isn’t likely to have a major impact, but incorporating spicy foods into your diet can have a temporary effect on boosting your metabolism.

While the impact to your metabolism may be minimal, spicy foods are also known to help you feel full.

Conclusion

While your metabolism is primarily dictated by factors outside of your control, you aren’t completely helpless. If you focus on building muscle, eating enough protein, getting quality sleep, and staying active, you’ll give your metabolism a solid boost that will help you lose weight and keep it off.

This becomes more important as we age since our metabolisms naturally slow down as we get older. As I round the corner on turning 40, I’ve been following this advice and am in the best shape of my life!

What this boils down to is creating a healthier lifestyle. If you do these things consistently you’ll notice a difference and likely see and feel results.