The Truth About Resetting Your Metabolism, and Tips From a Top Weight Loss Doctor

You don’t need an MD degree to know that weight loss results from burning more calories than one eats. But metabolism plays a big role here: After all, it’s responsible for regulating how quickly those calories are burned to create energy. As such, the more we can do to help our clients convert food into energy with speed and efficiency, the more we can help them. But it’s important to be realistic. After all, weight-loss experts agree that “resetting” your metabolism with a cleanse, keto diet, or fasting simply doesn’t deliver sustainable results. What’s more, when weight loss is the goal, focusing on minute metabolic improvements is less effective than zeroing in on excess caloric intake, according to Dr. Charlie Seltzer, M.D., a weight-loss physician based in Philadelphia. Here’s what else you need to know about how to “reset” the metabolism. What Is Metabolism? Metabolism is the series of biochemical reactions that occur within the body to keep it alive. It’s responsible for synthesizing carbs, protein, and fat from food into bodily tissues and fat (constructive metabolism). It’s also tasked with breaking down substances—including the calories we eat and sometimes body fat—into energy (destructive metabolism), thus fueling every process in the body. So how can metabolism impact your nutrition coaching client’s weight-loss goal? While dietary changes that provide sustainable solutions for appetite control will still be your best bet to help a client achieve success, Dr. Seltzer says, certain lifestyle factors can increase the body’s metabolic rate—at least a little—leading to greater caloric burn and potentially resulting in weight loss. What Is a Set Point? Some experts believe the body has a “set point,” or certain weight that it will try to maintain regardless of weight gain or loss. In some ways, this explains why yo-yo dieting is so prevalent: After losing a few pounds, the body turns up its hunger signals to “help” you return to your original weight, making it difficult to maintain the loss, Dr. Seltzer explains. “There’s still a lot we don’t understand about weight, metabolism, and appetite,” he says, “but it’s believed that we have compensatory mechanisms.” The thing about this theory is that it makes the future look bleak, especially among those who put in an honest effort to lose weight and expect metabolic changes to support that journey. If a client’s goal is to lower their weight, one way to adjust their set point is to encourage them to lose weight gradually—say, a 10 % weight reduction—and maintain it for about six months before attempting to lose more, Dr. Seltzer says. This way, your body can adjust and, in theory, create a new set point. What Factors Affect Your Metabolism? The rate at which the body burns calories to create energy needed to fuel basic functioning is known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Body size, muscle mass, gender, and age all contribute to BMR. While there are some mechanisms by which one can increase their BMR to promote weight loss, the truth is that it’s appetite, not a slow BMR, that typically contributes to weight gain, Dr. Seltzer says. (After all, the larger your body mass, the more calories your body burns at rest.) Besides BMR, which is the body’s primary calorie burner, two other factors contribute to overall caloric output. These include activity-induced thermogenesis, which covers non-exercise activity, like pushing a grocery cart through the store and exercise, and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), i.e., eating—that’s right, eating. See, when we consume snacks and meals, the body burns calories to chew, swallow and digest said food, leading to a temporary increase in metabolism that can account for as much as 15% of the calories we burn every day, according to Dr. Seltzer. ”Tucking in early (or sleeping in late) is the easiest thing you can do for weight control.” How to Increase Metabolism While certain behaviors burn calories by virtue of their energy requirements, there are many lifestyle factors that can increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) or calories your body burns at rest. 1. Fill your plate with protein. Different macronutrients have different thermic effects, or increase in metabolism due to the amount of effort it takes to digest them. Research suggests that protein has a thermic effect of 25-30%, meaning the body burns up to one-third of the protein calories you take in by simply digesting them. Meanwhile, carbohydrates have a thermic effect of 6-8%, and fat has a thermic effect of 2-3%. Simply put, protein is a good metabolic bargain. 2. Get ample sleep. Skimping on sleep lowers your RMR, decreasing your calorie burn in promotion of obesity, Dr. Seltzer says. Assuming you don’t struggle to fall and stay asleep, tucking in early (or sleeping in late) is the easiest thing you can do for weight control. 3. Strength train. Because it takes energy to turn amino acids into muscle tissue to recover from a strength-training workout, building muscle at the gym can increase the calories you burn after you leave the gym. 4. Do high-intensity cardio. “This raises the metabolism for a period afterward,” Dr. Seltzer explains, with a warning: “We don’t know whether this leads to weight loss since people tend to compensate by increasing their food intake thereafter.” 5. Drink water. Dehydration drops your metabolic rate, according to Dr. Seltzer. Rehydrating after a workout or simply sipping a non-caloric beverage throughout the day can counteract this adverse effect. 6. Drink caffeine. Sans cream and sugar, which could offset its effects, caffeine-containing beverages like coffee and tea both raise the metabolic rate to burn extra calories and act as a performance enhancer so you can work out harder, which can contribute to overall calorie output. 7. Spice up your meals. Research has linked intake of capsaicin-containing foods such as chili peppers to a lower prevalence of obesity—and researchers think they know why: The compound raises body temperature and oxygen intake, increasing calorie burn, though it’s not going to suddenly put you into a smaller dress size overnight.

5 Surprising Factors that Affect Metabolism

Metabolism is one of those words many of us throw around without giving much thought to what it means or how it works. What is this elusive concept we blame for being “slow” (as we lounge at the beach instead of hitting the gym)? Put simply, metabolism is the process of converting the food (and drinks) we consume into energy. It’s a pretty important process given the fact that the body requires energy to do everything: walk, talk, breathe, digest … you get the picture. Some of our bodies are more efficient at this process than others, hence the popular idea of fast and slow metabolisms. How Metabolism Happens There are three ways metabolism happens: Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories you burn doing nothing, i.e. just letting your body take care of basic functions, and it accounts for the biggest chunk (65%–75%) of total calories burned throughout the day. The thermic effect of food is the energy needed to digest, absorb, transport, and store the food we eat—accounts for about another 10% of calories burned. The thermic effect of exercise is the calories burned while you spin, lift, and pulse, which accounts for the rest. RELATED: 10 Smart, Healthy Ways to Lose 10 Pounds So how can you make sure your body is working as efficiently as possible to burn the fuel you provide and carry out all of its many functions? Metabolism is a tricky process to influence, but these factors may contribute to whether or not yours is happily humming. 5 Factors That Affect Metabolism 1. Weight loss Yes, this one feels like a cruel trick the universe is playing on all of us. After losing a significant amount of weight, metabolism generally slows down, making it hard to keep weight off. You may have heard about this effect after the study on The Biggest Loser contestants’ struggles to maintain their weight loss long-term generated lots of buzz. Some studies have pointed to yo-yo dieting as causing the most damage (with people whose weight has gone up and down repeatedly having the most damaged metabolisms) but other research has refuted that idea. Either way, it’s helpful to know that if you’re someone who has experienced major weight loss, that could affect your caloric burn long after. (In other words, you can’t just revert to your old diet once the weight’s off; you need a serious long-term plan for maintenance.) 2. Strength Training Here’s some better news: Lifting weights (heavy ones, please!) is one simple way to fire up your metabolism. Your body uses more energy to maintain muscle, so building muscle can keep your metabolism in overdrive long after your sweat session is over. High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has also been shown to fire up metabolism much more than steady-state cardio. 3. Too Much Exercise However, don’t go crazy lifting heavy and banging out burpee intervals every day seven days a week. Many experts say that if you push your body too far, your body enters an inflammatory, stressed state and your hormones get totally out of whack, which in turn messes with your metabolism. Your metabolism won’t be able to work efficiently unless you give your body time to rest. Balance intense, effective workouts with enough sleep and restorative practices like yoga. RELATED: A 30-Minute Yoga Routine to Fight Stress and Build Strength 4. Stress Speaking of stress…other stressors can also make your metabolism sluggish. Studies have shown women who had stressful experiences the day before a high-fat meal burned fewer calories after the meal, and that chronic stress is linked to long-term fat storage and weight gain. On the flipside, some research links meditation to weight loss, so maybe it’s time to finally commit to trying it? RELATED: A 2-Minute Calming Meditation to Manage Any Stressful Situation 5. Drinking Water Hydration plays a big role in maintaining an efficient metabolism. One small study showed drinking 500ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30 percent. Drinking enough water will help your body metabolize food and will also prevent overeating (since thirst is often mistaken for hunger). Try drinking a large glass of water with lemon as soon as you wake up and continue to drink it throughout the day.

The Fastest Way to Lose Weight This Week

You’re searching high and low for the fastest way to lose weight this week. You’re stressing. You’re kicking yourself for eating pizza over the weekend and missing your Sunday morning hot yoga class because you were hungover. Whether it’s for a date with the hot new guy at the office (our lips are sealed), that tropical vacation you’ve been waiting on for months, or as a jumpstart to your weight loss plan, you need to drop a few pounds stat. We’ve all been there. If you want to look amazing in your LBD but the zipper is way tight and you can’t quite sit down in your favorite jeans at the moment, read on for the fastest way to lose weight in a jiffy. And no, starving yourself is not the answer. The Fastest Way to Lose Weight This Week 1. Eat Empowered Eat real food. Often.  Stop worrying about what extreme diet you need to start. Stop counting calories and start thinking about the real food you’re going to eat. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner—and at least one snack a day (no skipping meals!)—consisting of whole, real foods. I’m talking loads of veggies, lean protein such as grass-fed steak, chicken, fish and eggs, and healthy fats as in cashews, pecans, olives, avocado and coconut. Ditch the packaged and processed foods—especially anything that includes added sugar. If you need an exact plan, I’ve got you covered here. Begin your day with breakfast and eat every few hours or when you feel slightly hungry and stop when you feel slightly satisfied. Not sure what that feels like? Check out this hack . Eating real food combined with listening to your body is your new winning combo. Fact: Eating real food makes you feel better and that alone can make you look better. If you’re skimping on nutrients or need a way to boost your protein, check out our Nutritious Life-developed Life’s Abundance Greens Blend and Life’s Abundance Vanilla Plant Protein. It’s the fastest way to up your nutrition game. RELATED: Sugar Cravings: 4 Reasons They Happen and How to Stop Them 2. Sweat Often Get 45 minutes of movement in—every day this week. I’m a fan of mixing up exercise. This might mean getting in HIIT workouts one day, long bouts of cardio or a hike on another, and pilates and yoga on other days. But, most of all, I’m a fan of being consistent with exercising and moving, in whatever way, shape or form makes you feel your best. The fastest way to lose weight means sticking with whatever movement makes you feel good. When you feel good, you’re more likely to be consistent. Also, when you feel you good, you eat well and you sleep well which, guess what … helps you eat well again. This intertwined cycle is what a Nutritious Life is all about. This week, I want you to focus on being consistent with your exercise and doing it daily. You don’t even need to hit a gym to get it in. Here’s a quickie workout I do just about anywhere. Five-mile run sound good? Do it. Spin class right up your alley? Get that in. Hike in the hills all you want to do? Go for it. Fact: Yes, you’ll shed pounds by burning calories when you exercise, but exercising also increases blood flow. This helps with circulation and gives your skin a healthy glow. Exercise can also help reduce stress, which will help you sleep better. Both exercise and sleep are needed to calm your nerves. RELATED: Quick 5-Minute Full-Body Workout You Can Do Anywhere 3. Sleep Deep Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night, settle for no less than 7.  For some reason, sleep is still one of those things that we give up in order to fit everything else into our busy schedules. Many of us still feel like we should get a gold star when we triumphantly go without sleep to log more hours at a bar chatting it up with friends or burning the midnight oil at our desk. Unfortunately, no medals awarded here. Sleep should be a top priority. It’s right up there with what we put into our bodies, especially when we want to be looking and feeling our best. This week, practice good sleep hygiene by picking a bedtime and sticking to it. Allow yourself 15 minutes of winding down time before your head hits the pillow. Fact: They don’t call it “beauty sleep” for nothing. While we sleep, our body’s natural antioxidant and sleep hormone, melatonin, fights off free radical invaders. If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you’re reducing the amount of time that melatonin gets to fight off wrinkles, and those bags under your eyes will only get worse. By getting enough sleep at night, you not only look and feel well-rested, but your immune system will be strengthened. RELATED: Sleep Procrastination: What It Is and How to Stop Doing It, Pronto! 4. Drink Up Drink eight glasses of water and two cups of green tea a day. For two days before your special occasion, drink one cup of dandelion root tea as well. Trust me, this one is important. Being properly hydrated is linked to metabolism, energy and skin health. Fact: It might sound counterintuitive, but drinking water throughout the day, helps you to reduce bloating, flush out toxins, hydrate your skin to achieve a healthy glow, and keep your digestive organs in good working order. On top of that, green tea has been shown to boost metabolism and dandelion tea will help flush you out, further reducing toxins and any bloating. RELATED: Do I Really Need to Be Drinking Water to Lose Weight? 5. Nurture Yourself No time or money to book that expensive facial? Have no fear, your DIY cleansers are here. Give these easy homemade facial cleanser and mask a try. You’ll almost be able to feel the antioxidants and nutrients seep into your skin making it soft, smooth