How to speed up your Metabolism 🚀📈
Robin Keller
No-nonsense Coach for High Performing Professionals 💪 I help high-performers burn belly fat, get in top shape & reach peak energy in less than 2 hours per week 🏆 Click below to learn more about my method👇
This is a real story...
The other day, I was in line for a coffee. As I was waiting I overheard a conversation that was happening right behind me.
It was a guy in his mid-40s talking to his friend about his struggles to lose weight.
During the convo, I overheard say,
"I used to eat whatever I wanted and have a six-pack. Now, even if I look at food, I put it on my belly. My metabolism has slowed down"
😭
As he said that, I proceeded to look forward and made sure to bite my tongue. It's just not nice to tell someone you've never met that they are probably wrong. I don't know about you, but it's not the best way to make a good first impression.
So, I bought my coffee and proceeded to enjoy the rest of my day.
Studies show that between the ages of 20 to 60, our metabolisms stay stable. What you need to know is that our metabolisms most likely don't slow down with age.
-> We do.
Combine that with our lack of movement and the fact that muscle mass decreases approximately 1-3% per year after the age of 30, and we have a serious problem.
The fact is this: If you want to burn fat faster, you want to have a faster metabolism.
So, in this article, I want to show you exactly how to do that.
What's a Metabolism?
First off, let's start with the basics. If you know this, then you can skip forward, but it's always nice to have a good refresher and I'm pretty sure giving this a quick read will make you smarter than 99% of people out there.
Your metabolism is a term used to describe all chemical reactions in your body that keep you alive. This is why people who say that you need to "reset" your metabolism (picture me using air quotes with my fingers) are feeding you bullshit...
You can NOT reset your metabolism because if you did, you would literally die.
When most people use the word metabolism, they refer to your basal metabolic rate (BMR) or the number of calories you burn at rest.
Many factors can affect your metabolism, including your genetics, age, diet, sex, body size, and health status.
The best way to influence your metabolism is to do things that will increase your BMR.
How do I speed up my metabolism?
The top 3 pillars to secure a faster metabolism are:
These are the big 3 to focus on. There are some other "out of the box" types of methods as well. I'll provide them at the end of the article.
Are you ready? Let's go.
Increase your protein intake and eat protein with every meal.
Eating specific types of foods can temporarily increase your metabolism for a few hours.
This is called the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), and it’s caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients in your meal.
Protein causes the largest rise in TEF. It requires 20 to 30% of its usable energy for metabolism compared to 5 to 10% for carbs and 0 to 3% for fats.
I get my clients to aim for 1,2-1,8g grams of protein per kilo of body weight.
Build muscle.
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Building muscle can help increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories each day, even when sleeping.
A kilo of muscle can help you burn around 10-15 calories daily. While this may not seem like a lot at first, it compounds as you add more muscle to your body.
This is a big reason why we use metabolic resistance training in THE FIT HIGH-PERFORMER and coaching programs. Doing cardio does comparably nothing for your metabolism...
Not only is building muscle good for your metabolism, but it is also great for your hormones and quality of life as you age.
I've never met anyone who regretted building too much muscle.
Okay, maybe the dude who turned his arms into clouds, but otherwise, no one else.
Get a standing desk.
Standing burns more calories than sitting. This isn't rocket science, but it needs to be said.
If you have a desk job, try standing up for short periods to break up the length of time you spend sitting down.
Consider getting an adjustable sit-to-stand desk. I personally like to do 15 minutes of standing for every 45 minutes of sitting.
I even got myself a desk treadmill so I could easily keep myself moving throughout the day while getting stuff done.
Fix your sleep.
Sleep affects your metabolism in a direct way.
Essentially, when you sleep less, your body tries to save more energy and burns fewer calories.
Plus, if you deprive yourself of sleep, you stimulate your appetite-regulating hormones. Insufficient sleep is associated with higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which increases appetite, and lower levels of the hormone leptin, which leads to feeling less full.
This sets people up to gain weight.
Also, lack of sleep messes with your recovery between workouts. If you don't get enough recovery you won't be able to build muscle efficiently.
There are so many things to do to improve your sleep, so I compiled an in-depth protocol that you can access right here.
Increase your NEAT.
Sounds fancy, doesn't it?
NEAT refers to your non-exercise-related physical activity. There are a few ways to do this that actually work at helping you increase your metabolic rate:
Fidgeting - Multiple studies have confirmed that fidgeting throughout the entire day can burn ten times more calories than just sitting still. Another study found that doing simple soleus raises at your desk can also increase metabolic rate. Fidgeting is a big reason why fidgeters are able to stay lean.
Walking - The average Human gets 4000 steps a day, which pales in comparison to our Palaeolithic ancestors, who got 14 to 17k steps a day. This doesn't mean you should be aiming for that, but I've found with my clients that a low bar of 6,000 and up to 10,000 steps can help.
Other weird ways to boost your metabolism
Eat spicy stuff 🌶
Capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers, may boost your metabolism by slightly increasing the rate at which your body burns calories. A review of 20 research studies notes that capsaicin — from supplements or the peppers themselves — may help your body burn around 50 extra calories per day.
Go swimming 🏊
Swimming in cold water can increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which means you’ll burn more calories after the workout is complete. This is due to the fact that your body has to heat you up to maintain a healthy core body temperature.
Drink Green Tea 🫖
Green tea contains caffeine and an antioxidant called catechin. Research suggests that both of these can speed up metabolism. Catechin can help to break down excess fat, while both catechin and caffeine can increase the amount of energy the body uses.
Note: Would I rely on these to speed up my metabolism? No. Think of these are nice to do but not anywhere as effective as the principles listed above.
Congrats on your faster metabolism!
You now have in your hands a solid guide on increasing your metabolic rate.
So what next?
Find the area you're not taking action on and focus on that.
The process of speeding up your metabolism won't happen overnight, but when you give it 12 weeks, you'll see the compounding effects it can bring to your life and body.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well!
Robin Good | Health, Fitness & Performance Coach
Creator THE FIT HIGH-PERFORMER
PS: If you want to lose 10kg of belly fat in 16 weeks, send me a direct message with "10" and I'll send you my free case study report.