5 tips for boosting your metabolism (and repairing metabloic damage!)

So in my last blog, I briefly discussed metabolic rate and described the situation where you may have created metabolic damage.

So how do you go about firing it up again?  

Here are 5 quick tips:

  • Resistance train! Ideally with heavy weights. This speed up your metabolism short term but it also leaves you in a ‘debt’ post workout, encouraging your body to soak up calories whilst it repairs and adapts. Furthermore, the more muscle proportion you have, typically the higher metabolic rate you have – so building muscle is paramount. Ideally do this 3-5 times a week.
  • Eat natural food. Any by natural, I mean non processed, clean food. Our bodies take much more time (and energy) to break down and consume natural food. Hyperpalatable, false, processed (and blended) foods all are absorbed by our bodies rapidly and not as much energy is used to break it down. The more natural you eat, the more you will burn, just to process the food you have consumed (without doing anything else!).
  • Eat plenty of protein. This will support you in your quest to keep and develop muscle (which we want, as described in step 1). Moreover, did you know that thermogenesis (heat produced and energy used) to break down protein, can be up to a 1/3 higher than thermogenesis produced for breaking up fat and protein. Yes that’s right! You will use a healthy proportion of your protein calories, just by eating it in the first place!
  • Use HIIT for your cardio. Similar to point one, High Intensity Interval Training (if done intensely and correctly), will not only raise your metabolism and burn calories in the session, it will also leave your body in an ‘elevated burning state’ after the session as the demands on the system to recover and repair are greater. Resistance training and HIIT are much more effective in ‘debt’ and metabolic rate terms than your long slow run, walk or bike ride. So save yourself time and train with huge intensity, and potentially for only 20-40 mins!
  • Do not diet! Restricting food without consideration and a plan will do nothing but lose you a few initial lbs, cause you mental stress and lower your metabolism. Instead you need to shift your thinking and focus on eating for fuel. Focus on eating well, with ample for your needs, with the right, clean foods.
  • If your looking for help in bringing this together, contact me for online consultation, personal training (online, remote, outdoors or in the gym, the later after lock down!).