How fast the body burns calories has a direct impact on how easy or how hard it is for one to lose weight and a sluggish metabolism can make weight loss incredibly difficult.
While metabolism is largely determined by gender and heredity, there are activities one can do to speed metabolism and burn fat naturally.
Skipping breakfast can cause the body to go into "starvation mode" to conserve energy, slowing metabolism and thereby decreasing calorie burn. Kickstart metabolism for the day by eating a balanced breakfast consisting of a combination of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Dehydration causes metabolism to slow down, and studies show those who drink eight to 12 8-ounce glasses of water per day have a faster metabolism than those who only drink four glasses. Drinking ice water may provide an extra boost in calorie burn as the body works to warm the water to its core temperature.
Research suggests the ECGC found in green tea can boost fat burning and those who drink two to four cups per day burn up to 50 more calories. Studies also show that those who drink three to five cups of green tea per day see a weight loss of 4.6 percent in just 12 weeks.
Muscle burns fat and building muscle means burning more calories throughout the day, even while at rest. Beginners can start building muscle by strengthen training two to three times per week using free weights, resistance bands or by doing exercises that use body weight as resistance, such as pushups, lunges and tricep dips.
