Your guide to losing weight the easy (and fast) way
Thought about your metabolism recently? You should have; your metabolic rate – the body’s ability to burn calories while not exercising – is your primary vehicle for raiding your fat stores.
And here's the good news: revving your body’s blubber-burning engine to full throttle can be done in a few simple steps.
1. HIIT it up
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: High Intensity Interval Training is the eighth wonder of the world. And it’s so simple; just exercise for 15 minutes at regular intervals of max intensity and you’ll rocket your metabolism. Case in point: research from Baylor College of Medicine found an intense cycle circuit will burn off more calories during the following 24 hours than an hour of steady-state cardio. This adds to up an extra 100 calories burnt per day, according to another study from East Tennessee State University.
Still need convincing? Scientists from the University Edinburgh proved you can significantly take your metabolic machinery up a gear in two weeks by stringing together a few simple moves, each lasting for 30 seconds (yes, just 30seconds).
But which moves? Glad you asked. Complete each exercise below for half-a-minute with a 10 second break between each. Go for three rounds to skyrocket your metabolic rate.
Twisting bicep curl
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your side with palms facing each other.
- Use your bicep to curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders, twisting your palms to face your chest as you lift them.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to your side and repeat.
Bodyweight squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Start the movement by bending your knees and sitting back with your hips.
- Go down as far as you can and quickly reverse the motion back to the starting position.
- Keep your head up and back straight throughout the move.
Single arm overhead dumbbell triceps extension
Not got a bench at home? Use your stairs
- Grab a dumbbell and sit on a bench.
- Extend your arm over your head until it is perpendicular to the floor and next to your head. Rotate your wrist so that the dumbbell is pointing to the floor.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head.
- Return to the starting position by flexing your triceps and breathing out.
Single leg glute bridge
- Lie on your back with one leg raised in the air.
- Thrust forward and raise your hips off the ground as high as you can.
- Slowly lower yourself to the floor.
2. Snack more
No, this is not a drill, gentlemen: have more grub and still tone up. You’d think snacking every time you’re hungry would leave you more Fatman than Batman, research shows that succumbing to your cravings keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels stable – the perfect settings for a fast metabolism. That’s right: starving yourself won’t work; you’ll just put your body into surviving mode, causing it to hold on to fat.
3. Spice it up
If you want to feel the metabolic burn then you’ve got to put the heat where your mouth is. No, not fire breathing; we’re talking about chillies. Capsaicin – the ingredient that gives chilli peppers their spice – makes you burn off more energy at rest by a process called thermogenesis that increases your body’s heat, as a study from the University of Copenhagen showed. It’s another reason to look down on that one mate who always opts for a korma come curry night.
(Related: How to get the most out of chilli peppers)
4. Take a breather
You better sit down and take a few deep breathes for this next tip. Done? Great, you’ve just slightly increased your metabolic rate. How? As scientists at the University of Toronto showed, taking a few minutes out of your day for a deep-breathing exercise will send more oxygen to your cells, allowing them to use up more energy. And that’s not all: researchers from the Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland found a few minutes of deep breathing will max your metabolism by reducing your body’s insulin resistance. Breathe easy, fellas.
5. Drink Green tea
Pour yourself a higher metabolism by simply swapping your milk and sugar for something a bit more, well, green. That’s because according to the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, catechins in green tea can increase your overall calorie burning by 4%. So which brew’s for you? The South African Redbush tea (hey, we didn’t name them) has the power to not only ramp up your energy expenditure, but also prevent the formation of fat cells in the first place, according to research published in the journal Phytomedicine.
6. Chocs away
Although most men will take a Mars over a Bourneville any day of the week, this could sway your mind. Researchers from the University of California found eating chocolate with a cocoa content percentage of 70 or above promoted a rise in your metabolism over a 2-week period. How? Dark chocolate contains high levels of theobromine, a chemical that stimulates adrenalin, which in turn significantly increases your metabolism. A few bars a week will leave you in choc and awe (sorry).
7. Drink cold water
You probably know drinking two cups of water before each meal makes you feel fuller, but did you know drinking it from the fridge will give your fat-loss goal the edge? The reason’s as simple as you’d think: chilled water cools you down and you’ll have to burn calories to warm yourself up. 95 calories per dayif you drink two litres of ice-cold H20, say researchers from Humboldt University. That’s a massive upgrade with almost no effort.
8. Eat before bed
Remember when your mum said you shouldn’t eat after eight? She couldn’t have been more wrong. Some presumably peckish scientists at Florida State University found that eating a light snack before bed can actually improve your nocturnal metabolism. We know: what’s a ‘light snack’? Anything less than 150 calories, preferably rich in protein. Need a recommendation? Here are 10 of our favourites.
9. Netflix and chill
No, not that (although that’s no reason to give it a good go). Turn down your thermostat to 17 degrees Celsius when you’re lounging in front of the box and you’ll burn 7% more calories than if you were at 23 degrees, says a study from the American National Institute of Health Clinical Center. Combine that with a few easy TV workouts and you’ll boost your metabolism faster than you can say “Game of Thrones Marathon”.
10. Sleep it up
Need another excuse for a perfect night of shuteye? Research from Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin shows a lack of sleep throws off your levels of leptin, the hormone that help regulate energy use and appetite. Clock less than your eight hours (we’re looking at you) and you’ll reduce your levels of leptin by 15.5%. If you want to keep your hormones and metabolism at record highs then treat yourself to an early night’s shuteye with the ultimate MH guide.
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