Eat Plenty of Protein at Every Meal
Eating food can increase your metabolism for a few hours.
This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It’s caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meal.
Protein causes the largest rise in TEF. It increases your metabolic rate by 15–30%, compared to 5–10% for carbs and 0–3% for fats
Eating protein has also been shown to help you feel more full and prevent you from overeating
One small study found that people were likely to eat around 441 fewer calories per day when protein made up 30% of their diet
Drink More Cold Water
People who drink water instead of sugary drinks are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off
This is because sugary drinks contain calories, so replacing them with water automatically reduces your calorie intake.
However, drinking water may also speed up your metabolism temporarily
Studies have shown that drinking 17 oz (0.5 liters) of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour
This calorie-burning effect may be even greater if you drink cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it up to body temperature
Water can also help fill you up. Studies show that drinking water a half an hour before you eat can help you eat less
Lift Heavy Things
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, and building muscle can help increase your metabolism
This means you will burn more calories each day, even at rest .
Lifting weights will also help you retain muscle and combat the drop in metabolism that can occur during weight loss
In one study, 48 overweight women were placed on a diet of 800 calories per day, along with either no exercise, aerobic exercise or resistance training
After the diet, the women who did the resistance training maintained their muscle mass, metabolism and strength. The others lost weight, but also lost muscle mass and experienced a decrease in metabolism