Can You Really Increase Your Metabolism?

The truth is in, and it’s especially discouraging for those of us already trying to lose weight.

There are lots of tips and methods for increasing your resting metabolism (called “BMR” for Basal Metabolic Rate)- that is, how much energy you burn just being alive.  Green tea and chilli peppers are renowned for their BMR-raising prowess. I’m personally a fan of both, but are these are just small fry compared to what really matters when it comes to determining your metabolism: Your size, and your genetics – that’s right, metabolism is somewhat hereditary.

Dr. Tim Church explains that size does matter, unfortunately, more than a couple of teas every day. For instance, having more muscle means having better metabolism to break down the energy in your food to sustain that muscle. While it’s true that being heavier and bigger does increase your metabolic rate, there’s a difference in how many calories muscle and fat burn, even at rest. It’s not a massive difference in of itself; pound-for-pound muscle burns six calories every day and fat burns just two. But applied, depending on your particular build, some of those numbers will have multipliers and there’s a bigger difference when it’s applied full-body.

But that being said, the biggest way to make a difference to your caloric burn isn’t going to be putting on a pound or two of weight – especially if you’re trying to lose it. It’s going to be… you guessed it: excessive. “The key to burning more calories is always going to be more activity. In the end, weight loss comes down to pure hard work,” Dr. Church says, “People don’t like to hear it, but it’s true.”

What do you think about BMR-increasing techniques? We’re interested to hear what you’ve tried, and if it worked! Let us know in the comments below.

 

 

 

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