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In many people’s eyes, weight gain is always closely related to eating too much or lack of exercise. However, they often overlook another key factor—metabolism.
If your metabolism has slowed down, even if you control your diet and increase exercise, it can still be difficult to lose weight. So, how can you speed up your metabolism and help yourself maintain a healthy weight more easily?
The answer is not complicated. You just need to eat less of two types of food and do four things more often. Below, I will discuss how to improve metabolism by adjusting diet and lifestyle based on my clinical experience, ultimately achieving weight loss goals.
Although many people blindly pursue weight loss foods, certain foods can actually unknowingly slow down the body’s metabolic rate and hinder our fat-burning progress.
Foods to Avoid
Excessive Sugar
Foods high in sugar, especially those high in fructose, such as desserts, fruit juices, candies, and many processed snacks, are common temptations in our daily lives.
Long-term consumption of these foods not only causes blood sugar and insulin levels to fluctuate but also reduces the efficiency of metabolism and increases fat accumulation. In fact, research shows that excessive sugar intake can lead to insulin resistance, affecting the body’s metabolism of fat and slowing down metabolism.
One patient regularly consumed large amounts of fruit juice and desserts. Although she had a habit of controlling portion sizes, her weight never decreased significantly.
After analysis, it was found that her high-sugar diet caused abnormal insulin secretion, hindering effective fat burning.
After reducing her intake of these high-sugar foods, her weight gradually decreased, and her mental state also improved. The doctor explained that excessive sugar not only affects blood sugar fluctuations but also causes the body to store fat due to excessive insulin secretion.
Therefore, people who want to improve their metabolism should try to reduce the intake of high-sugar foods, especially processed snacks, candies, and beverages. Choose natural fruits and low-sugar foods to maintain stable blood sugar levels and avoid slowing down metabolism.
Greasy and Processed Foods
Greasy and processed foods, such as fried chicken, french fries, fast food, and many pre-packaged snacks, are common temptations in modern diets.
Although they taste rich and can easily stimulate appetite, the negative impact of saturated and trans fats on metabolism cannot be ignored. These foods not only easily lead to obesity but also increase inflammation levels in the body, thereby affecting the efficiency of metabolism.
I once treated a male patient in his 50s whose diet consisted almost entirely of greasy fast food and processed foods. Although he went to the gym every week, his weight was still difficult to reduce.
Through dietary intervention and reducing these greasy foods, his blood lipid levels were controlled, and his weight began to decrease slowly. Medical research has found that excessive intake of saturated and trans fats increases bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, increasing cardiovascular burden and reducing metabolic efficiency.
Diet control is a very important link, but relying solely on reducing the intake of certain foods cannot completely solve the problem. To improve metabolism, in addition to a reasonable diet, you also need to increase daily activity and develop good living habits.
Things to Do
Increase Muscle Training: Burn More Fat
Muscle tissue consumes more energy than fat, so increasing muscle mass can increase the basal metabolic rate, helping the body burn fat more efficiently. Whether through weight training, yoga, or other strength training, you can effectively increase muscle and thus improve metabolic levels.
I once had a patient who was a white-collar worker in an office job and lacked exercise. Although his diet was relatively healthy, because he did not engage in muscle training, sitting for long periods kept his metabolic rate at a low level.
After a period of strength training, his muscle mass increased, his basic metabolism improved, and his weight began to gradually decrease. Medical research shows that muscle tissue continuously consumes calories. Increasing muscle mass can not only improve energy consumption during exercise but also increase metabolic rate even at rest.
High-Intensity Interval Training: Activate Metabolism in a Short Time
If you don’t have much time for long periods of exercise, try high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This training method quickly improves metabolism through high-intensity exercise in a short time and can maintain a higher metabolic rate for several hours after training.
I once recommended high-intensity interval training to a middle-aged patient. Initially, he thought this type of training was too intense and not suitable for him.
However, after a few weeks, he told me that he felt a significant improvement in his physical fitness, and his weight had decreased considerably. The doctor analyzed that high-intensity interval training can indeed accelerate fat burning and improve metabolic levels in a short time.
High-intensity interval training can increase calorie consumption in a short time, and because of its high-intensity characteristics, it can significantly increase the metabolic rate after exercise.
Increase Protein Intake
The thermic effect of food (TEF) refers to the energy required to digest food, and the thermic effect of protein is much higher than that of carbohydrates and fats. Protein not only helps repair and grow muscles but also helps maintain a higher metabolic rate.
I once advised a patient who often had irregular eating habits due to busy work to increase protein intake, especially low-fat, high-protein foods such as chicken breast, beans, and fish.
After a few months, he found that his weight began to decrease, muscle mass increased, and metabolic rate significantly improved. Medical research points out that increasing protein intake can improve the efficiency of metabolism, especially during weight loss. Protein helps maintain muscle mass and promotes fat burning.
Therefore, increasing the intake of quality protein in the diet not only increases the metabolic rate but also helps reduce body fat and improve body shape.
Ensure Adequate Sleep
Some people may ignore the impact of sleep on metabolism, but in fact, sleep has a very large regulatory effect on metabolism. Research shows that lack of sleep can cause the body’s metabolism to slow down, increase fat accumulation, and even affect insulin sensitivity, leading to weight gain.
I once treated a hypertensive patient with long-term insomnia. His blood pressure had never been well controlled, and his weight gradually increased. After analysis, the doctor found that his lack of quality sleep led to metabolic abnormalities in his body, and even insulin resistance.
Medical research shows that lack of sleep can lead to metabolic disorders and increase fat storage in the body. Therefore, maintaining adequate sleep is crucial for improving metabolism.
Conclusion
Improving metabolism is not complicated; the key is to adjust diet and lifestyle habits. By eating less refined carbohydrates, excessive sugar, and greasy processed foods, doing more muscle training, high-intensity interval training, increasing protein intake, and maintaining adequate sleep, your metabolism will be effectively improved, helping you achieve fat reduction and maintain a healthy weight.
I hope that through these simple lifestyle adjustments, everyone can have a healthier and more energetic lifestyle.
