Your metabolism is the process through which your body breaks down and processes foods so that they can be used for energy or stored as fat.
In short, your metabolism is a significant determinant of your weight gain and weight loss journey.
Metabolism is how much energy you have available at any given moment and affects how fast your body burns calories.
That’s why some people naturally burn more calories than others.
As with everything in life, your metabolism plays a role at every age and stage.
If you’re a teen, your metabolism might be faster than an older adult’s.
Your metabolic rate will also slow down if you’re under work stress or other life issues.
You may run into a weight loss plateau while on your journey.
As such, you may need to reset your metabolism to ensure you lose weight.
This article looks at ways you can reset your metabolic rate.
What is a Weight Loss Plateau?
According to Management Of Weight Loss Plateau, written by Sarwan G. and Rehman A., a weight loss plateau is a period where no matter how hard you try, you just cannot seem to lose any weight.
You may have tried everything under the sun, but nothing seems to work.
If you find yourself stuck at a weight loss plateau, you need to take a step back and look at what you’re doing wrong.
What Does Resetting My Metabolism Mean?
Resetting your metabolism means you reset the rhythm of the metabolic activities in your body by eating nutritious meals and snacks several times per day throughout the week, along with adopting other healthy lifestyle habits.
The result?
Your body gets used to regular meals again, adequate rest, etc., which helps boost your production of hormones that impact metabolic rate and increase lean muscle mass instead of fat stores.
Eat Every Few Hours
Your metabolism is like a machine.
If you stay in a constant state of activity, you’ll eventually tire out.
If so, you’ll have to take a break. The same thing happens to your metabolism if you don’t feed it regularly.
This might be a challenge for teens or anyone with a strenuous schedule, but it’s important to keep your metabolism strong.
You need to eat every three to four hours to keep your metabolism from slowing.
Ideally, you want to eat every three to four hours from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, so your body doesn’t enter a state of malnutrition.
This doesn’t mean that you should eat when you’re not hungry or snack all day long.
You should always be hungry and have a snack when you’re going through the three-to-four-hour window.
Ideally, you’re in a deep state of hunger when you eat.
You should also eat various foods and beverages, including complex carbs, fruit, vegetables, protein, and fats.
Avoid consuming the same food all day long because this will lead to a metabolic slowdown.
A High Protein Diet
Consuming protein with every meal can help combat a slow metabolism to lose weight more efficiently.
Protein is the building block of muscle, meaning you need it to build muscle. Consume protein with every meal to maximize muscle growth, as well as for its role in metabolism.
The best way to do this is to choose a protein shake or meal with an optimal protein ratio to carbs and fats.
The idea is that your metabolism will be fueled by protein, which is burned for energy instead of carbs or fats.
This leads to a faster resting metabolic rate and an increased sense of well-being.
You’ll also feel fuller for longer when consuming protein with every meal.
Keep in mind that a high protein intake causes your body to burn more calories, so be careful not to overdo it, you could lose too much weight too quickly, and that’s never a good thing.
If you’re consuming too much protein, you’ll burn muscle instead of fat and feel like you’re losing weight.
To avoid this, aim for a protein intake of 1.2-1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Get Adequate and Good Quality Sleep
Sleep is one of the most underrated but essential factors in resetting or maintaining a normal basal metabolic rate.
Sleep is when your body breaks down, processes food for energy, and builds new cells.
Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, means that your body is not getting the same amount of rest and repair, which means that your metabolism will likely slow down.
The link between sleep and metabolism is that when you’re well rested, your body uses more energy, i.e., burning calories more.
This means that eating well and getting enough sleep helps boost your metabolic rate and lose weight.
This is why your trainer insists that you get an adequate night’s rest to keep up with your energy expenditure.
Moreover, getting adequate sleep helps you reduce stress, which can cause hormone imbalances that slow down your metabolism.
Keep your bedroom clean and quiet to get the most out of your sleep.
Don’t keep electronics and lights in your room, and also try to avoid drinking caffeine in the hours before bed.
Also, try to develop and stick to a consistent sleep schedule.
Drink At Least 8 Glasses of Water Per Day
Water is extremely important for a healthy metabolism.
With every breath you take, you’re taking in water, so why wouldn’t you consume at least eight glasses of water per day?
Besides regulating your body temperature and flushing toxins from your system, water helps your metabolism by keeping your kidneys and intestines clean.
When your body is clean and hydrated, it can better regulate your hormones and burn additional calories from food throughout the day, which is ideal for fat burning.
Further, water is essential for resetting your metabolism because it’s considered a metabolic fuel.
That’s why it’s recommended for anyone trying to reset their metabolism.
Water is also crucial for muscle growth and increasing athletic performance.
Because it washes away toxins, it can help you lose fat and gain lean muscle mass.
Exercise Regularly but Moderately
Regular exercise has been proven to boost metabolism, but it’s important to do it right.
Research shows that the key is to do low-intensity and aerobic exercises three to five times per week to boost your metabolism.
These help you burn calories while also increasing the level of free-flowing oxygen in your blood, which boosts metabolism.
Heavy-resistance and high-intensity workouts have not been proven to increase metabolism and have been linked to muscle loss and overall fatigue.
These workouts are best for building muscle, leading to weight gain and higher body fat stores.
They are not ideal for those who have difficulty losing weight.
Regular exercise can help boost your metabolism and energy expenditure, but it needs to be low-intensity and aerobic.
Moderate-intensity exercises include walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling.
If you want to do something a bit more challenging, you may want to try high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
A HIIT workout can help maintain a good resting metabolic rate by keeping your metabolism working steadily.
Don’t Skip Meals or Supplements
Calorie intake is essential to your metabolism.
If you don’t take in enough calories to support your activity level, you’ll be in a state of starvation, resulting in a slowdown in your metabolism.
Fad diets, such as intermittent fasting that call for you to skip breakfast or lunch, are not ideal for someone trying to reset their metabolism.
Also, forgetting to take your supplements will result in a state of malnutrition, which will slow down your metabolism.
To get the most out of your metabolism-boosting efforts, you need to eat the right amount of food rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
The more calories you intake, the better. However, try not to overeat or eat unhealthily, as this will cause weight increase instead of loss.
Make sure you’re eating three meals and two to three snacks per day and include foods that have been proven to positively impact metabolism.
If you’re serious about resetting your metabolism, you’ll need to take supplements that help support healthy hormone production and metabolism, such as Bile Acid Resins.
These can help boost metabolism by manipulating insulin levels, lowering insulin resistance, and improving hormone production.
Some Foods that Can Reset Your Metabolism
Whole grains, chili peppers, green tea, and many other superfoods can be instrumental in aiding with resetting your slow metabolism to stop you from gaining weight instead of losing it.
Fish
Fish is a great source of protein and low in fat, making it an ideal food to boost your metabolism.
It’s also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids essential for healthy metabolic function.
Spinach
Spinach is low in calories but very high in vitamins and minerals, making it an awesome superfood for boosting metabolism.
Avocado
This fruit is high in vitamins, monounsaturated fats, and potassium, which can positively affect metabolic rate.
Watermelons
This fruit is high in fiber and potassium and has few calories, making it a great superfood for resetting your metabolism.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a great source of dietary fiber and minerals, making them an awesome superfood for resetting your metabolism.
Ginger
Ginger is a strong anti-inflammatory that can positively affect metabolic rate.
Black Beans
Black beans are a good superfood for resetting your metabolism and are also a great source of protein, dietary fiber, and minerals.
Broccoli
Broccoli is high in vitamins and minerals that can positively affect metabolic rate.
Cabbage
Cabbage is high in dietary fiber and vitamins, making it a good superfood for resetting your metabolism.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is high in dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals, making it a great superfood for resetting your metabolism.
Final Thoughts
Your energy expenditure and overall metabolism are vital to weight loss and maintenance.
When your metabolism becomes too slow, you need to reset it to achieve a healthy body mass and optimal energy levels to power through your HIIT workout and strength training.
Drinking green tea, consuming more protein, managing stress levels, eating extra calories, and moderate weight lifting are just a few ways to rest your metabolism.