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Healthy weight loss is dependent on a number of factors, but the one at the top of the list is your metabolism. Dictating your body’s ability to burn fat and maintain a calorie deficit, if you have a slow metabolism you will naturally have a more difficult time losing weight and keeping it off than if your metabolism was efficient.
Fortunately there are strategies you can implement into your lifestyle which will speed up your metabolism and increase fat burn even at rest, and the foods you eat can have a significant effect on your digestion as a whole. In order to improve your metabolism you need to prioritize foods which can improve satiety and keep you full for longer, making your body more effective at burning fat. With this, there’s one food that health experts agree can have a profound difference on your metabolism: protein.
One of the three primary macronutrients needed to fuel a healthy lifestyle, protein is valuable for feeding your muscles and providing sustained energy to the body throughout the day. But not only can it help to fill you up and limit overeating in between meals, protein also requires energy to digest, therefore increasing natural fat burn without any added thought.
“Protein can raise the body's metabolism by increasing the number of calories expended to digest these food types. It both burns more calories during the initial phase of digestion and throughout the entire process, which can take up to 6 or 8 hours to complete,” explains nutritionist Lisa Richards.
While fats and carbs are valuable to your body for other purposes, protein is the macronutrient which requires the most energy to digest, meaning that consuming a protein source with each meal will begin the process of boosting your metabolism with ease. “Proteins are the building blocks for muscle growth, bone health & overall strength. They are more satiable foods which helps keep you full longer and reduces cravings, as well as late night snacking,” notes certified nutritionist, Emma Caird.
Supplying your body with a nutrient dense food such as protein can help to fuel your muscles as well, and the more muscle your body is made up of, the more fat you will burn naturally, increasing your metabolism over time.
Not only can protein enhance your meals, but snacking on foods rich in this macronutrient can also help to energize your body without bogging it down with excess calories, making it so you can continue to eat as much as you need to sustain you while still losing weight. “By increasing your snacks in between meals with protein packed options, you're fueling your body and telling your metabolism to kick in accordingly,” says Caird.
“When you eat large meals with many hours in between, your metabolism slows down between meals. Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day.”
The secret to healthy weight loss doesn’t have to be a mystery, and increasing your protein intake for a faster metabolism can allow for you to eat the same amount as always while continuing to lose weight, allocating your calories more wisely. It’s vital to achieve a sustainable calorie deficit in order to see the results you’re working towards, and a more efficient metabolism will make it easier to burn through fat and maintain that deficit without feeling like you’re depriving yourself and ending the day hungry.
While a balanced diet outside of your protein intake is also important, eating more lean meat, beans and legumes, tofu, and eggs are all great ways to lose weight with ease and boost your metabolism without diet pills or restrictions.
