HOW TO ACTUALLY BOOST YOUR METABOLISM
There are so many gimmicks out there that promise to boost, rev up, and increase your metabolism. Some of these may only result in taking your money, leaving you more confused, or promising bogus claims that sound great but are likely untrue. Metabolism booster pills, detox/slimming teas or powders, and fad diets, are among the many products and gimmicks that promise to solve all of your metabolism issues.
What are the components of metabolism?
To fully understand how to give your metabolism a boost, it’s important to know how it is defined. Metabolism, the amount of calories that you burn at rest, is determined by and based on many different factors, including your current height, weight, gender, and age. Together, these make up what is known as the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the amount of calories that you burn at rest.
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), the amount of calories that you burn in a day, is dependent on even more factors. The thermic effect of food (TEF)—the amount of energy it takes for your body to digest and absorb the nutrients from food. The breakdown of macronutrients that you consume and the amount of times you eat per day can affect your metabolism. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which are movements you perform throughout the day that are not designated exercise. Examples include: fidgeting, typing, talking, talking with your hands, a nervous tick, walking to work to name a few. Lastly, designated physical activity also contributes to your TDEE.
All of these factors work together to equal the amount of total calories that you burn in a day, however, the only way to increase the amount of calories that you burn at rest (your BMR), depends on a specific type of exercise that is discussed below.
What macronutrients should you prioritize to boost metabolism?
Protein has a higher TEF, much higher than carbs and fat. Fiber, carbohydrates that are plants, may also have a positive effect on metabolism, as fiber is not broken down as glucose, rather it passes through the gastrointestinal system. Thus causing a beneficial effect on the metabolism.
The one type of exercise that will increase your BMR
However, one of the best and most profound ways to boost your metabolism is to participate in strength or resistance training. In other words, lifting weights, doing body weight exercises, exercises with resistance bands, or following a progressive overload program, can help you increase muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn at rest. This is the best and most effective way of increasing metabolism or your BMR, the amount of calories that you burn at rest. Remember, when increasing strength training you’ll want to also increase intake in protein to maximize muscle growth. To put it into perspective, your BMR accounts for roughly 60-75% of your TDEE. You can increase your physical activity and the amount of meals you eat in a day, but the best way to boost your metabolism is to regularly participate in strength training exercises.
The big takeaways
Eat more protein (meat, eggs, beans, peas)
Eat more fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, legumes, nuts, and seeds)
Participate in strength training exercises two to three times weekly (lifting weights, body weight exercises, and resistance training exercises)
Courtney is a local dietitian and nutritionist in Shreveport/Bossier. With her private practice, Courtney Butts Nutrition LLC, she helps individuals through one-on-one nutrition counseling with her insurance-accepted and self-pay services. She enjoys helping with individuals with Medical Nutrition Therapy that helps improve lab values, chronic disease outcomes, and decreasing medications through implementing changes to diet. To learn more about how you can work with Courtney, please visit www.courtneybuttsnutrition.com/services.
