People can increase their metabolism by making conscious decisions throughout the day. In Flip the Switch: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism & Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day (St. Martin Press, 2007), the author Robert K. Cooper, PhD suggests maintaining an hourly balance of calories being taken into the body versus the calories being used.
Of course, it would be maddening for dieters to try and make certain that they neither burn nor consume more than 300 to 500 calories away from this balance. However, Cooper’s suggestions justify the reasoning for small, frequent meals and staying active throughout the day.
Start the Day
Try to start the day from a relaxed, calm viewpoint. When stressed, the body thinks it needs to conserve energy and will protect fat. Get five or ten minutes of bright light (natural or artificial) to wake up the metabolism. Within an hour of waking, do some muscle-toning exercises. Make sure breakfast includes some protein.
Keep Moving throughout the Day
Do something active 15 to 30 minutes after eating a meal or snack. According to Cooper, “Fatty acids move in and out of fat cells, but they also can pass into muscle cells to be available for energy. When you’re active, muscle cells hang onto their free fatty acids to burn them for fuel. Inactive muscle cells release the fatty acids back to fat cells for storage.”
Drink Fluids
Cooper cites one study that found sipping two liters of water a day elevated metabolism and calorie-burning by 100 calories a day. Green tea may increase metabolism and fat-burning by up to 35%.
Plan Metabolism-Raising Meals
Cooper suggests eating the majority of calories early in the day. Eat three meals and four snacks during the day so the body is being fueled every two or three hours from morning to night. A protein-rich meal or snack can burn 40% more calories than a high-carbohydrate alternative because the amino acids from protein remain in the bloodstream up to four hours after eating.
Limit meals to no more than 600 calories and each snack to no more than 300 calories. Eat with awareness and notice when the body is satisfied with what has been consumed. Follow each meal or snack with a few minutes of easy activity – a five-minute walk, some isometric exercises.
Take Breaks
At mid-morning and mid-afternoon, take a five minute break. Take three deep breaths while thinking about something pleasant, such as a goal, a favorite experience, or a favorite person. Do some isometric exercises. Drink some water and have a snack.
Evening Routine
Keep metabolism ramped up, even when your body slows down for the night. Eat a small snack two hours before and two hours after dinner. Plan to eat heavy starches before dinner. Select water-rich carbohydrates, like vegetables, at dinner. Get at least five or ten minutes of cardiovascular activity within thirty minutes of dinner.
Get Quality Rest
Four or five hours before bedtime, avoid caffeine. Do something physical after dinner and within three hours of bedtime to warm the body and prepare it for quality sleep. Snack on low-fat dairy a couple of hours before going to bed. Make the body produce enough heat to stay comfortably warm by keeping the room cool, using one less blanket, and wearing socks to bed.
Cooper’s suggestions in his book Flip the Switch involve planning to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day and constantly incorporating bursts of activity to elevate and keep elevated one’s metabolism in order to lose weight.
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