Metabolism

BonMetz

Just wondering if there are any safe ways besides exercise to help increase metabolism....such as vitamins?

allison0820

I read that B complex can help.. I am going to get some today and try them just to see.. I have the same problem.. I workout but still feel like my metabolism is snail like!

ldmc1982

I have been told a couple of things: green tea, tried it didn't notice much, and you can add in siberian ginsing, and then there is good old B12. I've tried it all, not much luck, infact no luck. The only one that really works is exercise. Build muscle and that will increase your metabolism, your body burns 4 calories maintaining 1 pound of fat, to maintain the same one pound of muscle the body will burn 9 calories!!! So I am going to get me some exercise right now!!!

By the way, there are no quick fixes, no magic pill, just watch what you eat and exercise. If there was a quick fix there would be no overweight people in the world, and the person who found the quick fix would be a multi-trillionaire

UsedToBeHusky

Some herbals like caffeine and green tea can increase metabolism, but the effects are minimal.

Probably the quickest way to increase your metabolism is to eat multiple small meals throughout the day. Your digestive system requires a lot of calories to operate so by keeping food in your stomach, you are keeping your metabolism going at a higher rate.

UponThisRock

If you're in a calorie deficit, your metabolism is going to slow down. No way around it.

Edit: outside of the EC stack.

Alacey88

If you're in a calorie deficit, your metabolism is going to slow down. No way around it.

Edit: outside of the EC stack.

How do you know if you have a calorie deficit???

flimflamfloz

If you're in a calorie deficit, your metabolism is going to slow down. No way around it.

Edit: outside of the EC stack.

How do you know if you have a calorie deficit???

If you are trying to lose weight, you will always be on a calorie deficit (i.e. on MFP you are on a cal deficit).
However, if you log all the exercise - and you eat the recommended amount by MFP, it is fairly safe to do so and not unhealthy (unless your doctor says otherwise in your case).

Art63

Last night I read an article about some enzyme in our bodies that affects metabolism. There were several points the author made and one of them was that eating a good breakfast (about 1/3 of your daily caloric goal) was essential to get the metabolism working properly each day. It said that if you skip breakfast or eat only a little bit your body will keep its metabolism on hold until the first big meal of the day. Sooooo, at least one of the things to boost your metabolism sounds like eating a nice breakfast...that was good news!

UsedToBeHusky

Last night I read an article about some enzyme in our bodies that affects metabolism. There were several points the author made and one of them was that eating a good breakfast (about 1/3 of your daily caloric goal) was essential to get the metabolism working properly each day. It said that if you skip breakfast or eat only a little bit your body will keep its metabolism on hold until the first big meal of the day. Sooooo, at least one of the things to boost your metabolism sounds like eating a nice breakfast...that was good news!

There was a thread yesterday all about this. Do a search.

4theking

Skip breakfast and have one day a week to eat at a surplus.

UponThisRock

If you're in a calorie deficit, your metabolism is going to slow down. No way around it.

Edit: outside of the EC stack.

How do you know if you have a calorie deficit???

You're losing weight.

Chitza

Once a doctor that specializes on weight control told me to have Red tea mixed with cinnamon, the sticks, with the main meals, what it does, besides having all the benefits from Red tea, it also helps you with the metabolism. Now, you have to be careful not to abuse from it, because if you take too much it can lower your blood pressure.

This is something that is not immediate, you have to take it every day and it does not taste bad is actually ready good.

Hope it helps

psuLemon

If you really want to increase your metabolism you need to build muscle which means eating at surplus levels.

december8teen

Increasing lean muscle mass.

Pangui

This may be anecdotal, but I'll share it anyway. When I first joined MFP, I was set to lose a pound a week and I was eating a Standard American Diet (without meat) and using moderation to control my calories. When I switched to a whole foods plant-based and high nutrient diet, my metabolism appeared to speed up. I believe I consumed the same amount of calories, but my rate of weight loss increased by 50-100%. The other benefit of switching over to a low calorie density and high nutrient diet is that I get to eat lots of food. That was definitely a win-win for me. Based upon the personal experience of me, my husband, my sister and my sister-in-law, I highly recommend trying to incorporate more healthy whole foods into your diet and to reduce the amount of processed foods.

I am no longer a believer in the montra, "calories in, calories out". Food quality matters.

Art63

Thanks, Pangui, for that information. I'm just soaking up all this good data on what works for people in losing weight and getting healthy. It seems like there are a lot of ways to get to the same goal but what really matters, I think, is what works for the long haul. Your advice sounds perfectly logical as the right thing to do - get good nutrition. I've been so focused on calory counting and honestly haven't even been thinking about nutrition.

brucedelaney

Skip breakfast and have one day a week to eat at a surplus.

What he said