Can you raise your metabolism

Office of Dietary Supplements. Accessed Feb. Hensrud DD, et al. Energy, calories and weight. In: The Mayo Clinic Diet. Mayo Clinic; Perreault L, et al. Obesity in adults: Overview of management. Accessed Jan. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed Oct. Melmed S, et al. In: Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. Elsevier; The truth behind weight loss ads.

Federal Trade Commission. Simona B, et al. A critical review on the role of food and nutrition in the energy balance. Tips for enjoying holiday meals. A conversation about reducing the harms of social media. Menopause and memory: Know the facts. How to get your child to put away toys. Is a common pain reliever safe during pregnancy? Staying Healthy The truth about metabolism March 30, Print This Page Click to Print.

Staying Healthy. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Sign Up. Close Thanks for visiting.

The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness , is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

I want to get healthier. People who struggle to lose weight often blame a slow metabolism. But there's little evidence to support this claim. Research actually shows that overweight people have faster metabolisms than thinner people.

Larger bodies require more energy to carry out basic bodily functions. Research suggests people tend to eat more than they think they do. When asked to write down everything they've consumed in a day, many people tend to report eating far less than they actually do. More often than not, the reason you're putting on weight is not because of a slow metabolism, it's because you're eating and drinking more calories than you're burning.

It may be hard to accept, but staying on top of the number of calories you eat is key to losing weight and keeping it off. Our week weight loss plan will help you lose weight by tracking your calories. With some diets, your body is forced to break down muscle to use for energy. The lower your muscle mass, the slower your metabolism.

With less muscle and a slower metabolism, it then becomes a lot easier to put body fat back on after coming off the diet. It's claimed that certain foods and drinks can boost your metabolism, including green tea, black coffee, spices and energy drinks. The evidence behind these claims is weak or they are not effective long-term solutions.

While you do not have much control over the speed of your metabolism, you can control how many calories you burn through your level of physical activity. Some people who are said to have a fast metabolism are probably just more active — and maybe more fidgety — than others. Aerobic exercise is the most effective way to burn calories. You should aim to do at least minutes of aerobic activity, such as walking, cycling and swimming, a week.

Athletes perform better when they eat more often in smaller amounts. If you are someone who has a hard time stopping once you start eating, 3 meals a day may make it easier for you to stick to an appropriate intake than lots of little snacks. What to do: Pay attention to your hunger cues and eat when you feel hungry. Keep track of your daily diet and limit high-sugar, high-fat snacks.

A good night's sleep will not boost your metabolism but going without sleep can add pounds. Sleep-deprived people tend to eat more calories than they need, possibly to deal with feeling tired. What to do: Plan your life so you have enough time for sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, look into ways to unwind before bedtime and make your bedroom comfortable for sleep. Talk to your health care provider if self-care tips for better sleep do not help. While it is true that our metabolism is slower than when we were kids, a lot of mid-life weight gain happens because we become less active.

Jobs and family push exercise to the back burner. When we do not move as much, we lose muscle and gain fat. As you get older, you may also have trouble regulating your meals with age. After a big meal, younger people tend to eat less until their bodies use up the calories. This natural appetite control seems to fade as people get older. Unless you pay close attention, big meals can quickly add up.

What to do: As you get older, it is important to make exercise a regular part of every day. By staying active and sticking with smaller portions of healthy foods, you can ward off weight gain as you age.