If you’ve started a fitness regime to lose weight and build lean muscle, but haven’t seen great results, your metabolism may be to blame. We’ve all got that friend who can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound, because of their high metabolism, but is digestive wellness God-given, or can you do something to boost your metabolism and, in turn, your fitness regime?
Your metabolism is a process in which your body which breaks down fat cells, carbohydrates, and proteins and uses them as fuel. This process is particularly important if you’re an athlete, bodybuilder or you have an active lifestyle, as your metabolic rate determines how effectively you energise your body’s functions. Unfortunately, exercise is not enough if you want to improve your metabolism – let alone your overall wellbeing – you also need to make certain lifestyle changes.
Think about it: if you smoke, drink alcohol, party regularly, and eat unhealthy food, it’s not going to be easy to lose unwanted fats and develop a lean or muscular body. You do need to do regular exercises to sweat out the stored fat, but in order to do this you will need to constantly fuel up by eating food, as your body needs to burn off excess fat in the form of calories. This is the first lifestyle change you need to make; eating at least five healthy meals a day instead of three huge meals.
Whilst we’re on food, let’s take a look at what those meals contain. High-carbohydrate food needs to be replaced with high levels of protein, which, if you can’t stop immediately, can be phased out gradually until you are completely carb-free. For help with this, it might be a good idea to seek the help of a nutritionist, as he or she can help with your food selections and prepare a meal plan based on your workout programme.
Other than fixing your diet, a lifestyle change you need to make is ensuring you get at least eight hours of sleep every night. This helps to strengthen your immune system, improves your muscles’ ability to grow and repair, and restores your energy so that you don’t feel weak and easily tire during training. Finally, if you’re regularly working out, taking the right supplement can give you the energy you need and improve your metabolism. Consult a doctor or pharmacist for one that works for you.
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