Metabolism is the amount of energy our body burns to maintain itself. The amount of energy burned is measured by the number of calories expended. The speed at which our body burns calories is called the metabolic rate.
Increasing your metabolism is the best way for effective weight loss in which you lose actual fats and not just lose weight by losing water in the body. A high metabolic rate is the reason why some people can eat lots of fattening foods and remain slim and lean.
Metabolism is made up of several components. The main component is basal metabolism in which 60 to 65 percent of calories you eat daily are spent keeping you alive and providing basic energy for life support. Some people gain weight easily though they eat very little food because their basal metabolic rate is low.
You can increase basal metabolism by building muscle. Muscle cells are up to eight times more metabolically active than fat cells, and muscle burns more calories than fat. Doing weight-bearing or resistance exercise such as weightlifting or exercise bands will increase your muscle mass and metabolism.
Starving yourself to lose weight slows down your metabolism in a hurry. Eat at least three healthy meals every day. Skipping meals robs the body of needed calories as well as leaving the individual more prone to snacking on unhealthy foods. Avoid 5 to 6 hour gaps between meals without eating.
Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Dehydration can contribute to an inefficient metabolism. When you are dehydrated, your body temperature drops slightly, and causes your body to store fat as a way to help raise or maintain the temperature.
Our bodies were designed with a survival mechanism just in case there is a time of famine. Whenever we lower our calorie intake, the body lowers its metabolism in order to conserve energy. This lower metabolic rate makes it difficult to sustain weight loss after losing some pounds.
The medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) in coconut oil shift the body’s metabolism into a higher gear and thus burn more calories. The MCFA are easily absorbed by the body as they are converted directly into energy in the liver. This energy is used for metabolism and increases metabolic activity, helping in the burning of long chain fatty acids as well.
Simply changing your cooking oil to coconut oil and avoiding hydrogenated vegetable oils can help you lose your excess fats. The best part is that you need not reduce your calorie intake and specially watch your diet. Eating coconut oil sustains an elevated metabolism for at least 24 hours.
