As you embark on your weight loss journey, you will likely hear many specialists, fitness bloggers, and personal trainers tell you various things regarding your metabolism. Metabolism and how it works has been a source of confusion and misunderstanding throughout the weight loss and fitness community, which is why we at Soza Weight Loss are debunking the 3 biggest myths you need to stop believing about metabolism.
Myth #1: You Can’t Control Your Metabolism
For many people, blaming their stubborn, unwanted fat on a slow metabolism can be easy, but research shows we have more control over our metabolism than we once thought. You can amp up your metabolism by switching to a workout that is based on building muscle. The higher percentage of your body composition that is muscle, the faster your metabolism will be.
Other ways you can control your metabolism include:
- Sleep more: If you are a sleep deprived individual, research shows your body might have more trouble managing blood sugar levels. You also might find yourself hungrier throughout the day. Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night to ensure your body is performing at peak levels.
- Drink more water: When you drink cool water, it could have an impact on how many calories you burn throughout the day. A process called thermogenesis in which the body has to expend more energy to warm the water up to body temperature. This means the more hydrated, the more calories you could burn.
- Consuming coffee: Research suggests consuming caffeine can increase your metabolism. Participants were asked to consume caffeine and test their metabolic burn up against non-caffeinated participants. The caffeinated participants tested higher caloric burn rates than their non-caffeinated counterparts.
- Eating protein: Those with a higher intake of protein than carbs statistically have a higher caloric burn than those who do not. Consider adding more protein into your diet. Not a fan or meat? No problem, beans, quinoa and seitan are all great protein rich vegetarian options.
Myth #2: The Skinnier You Are the Higher Your Metabolism
As we mentioned above, your metabolism is determined by the percentage of muscle to fat in your body composition. This means, someone who is skinny with little muscle composition would have a slower metabolism than someone would at the same weight with a higher muscle composition.
Myth #3: Skipping Meals Slows Down Metabolism
How frequently you eat does not ramp up your metabolism, but it can be a popular way to lose or maintain a healthy weight because consuming smaller meals throughout the day helps prevent overeating that commonly occurs when you get very hungry.
Are you struggling to lose weight?
Are you struggling to lose weight? If so, you are not alone. Over 35.7 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. If you want to know more information about how you can live a healthy lifestyle, and lose weight with the support of an amazing team, contact our Covington weight loss clinic to learn more about our weight loss program.
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