1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

The 3-Day Fix to Supercharging Your

Metabolism NEWSLETTER

Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, MS, NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-

CSS on September 17, 2018 — Written by Deanna deBara

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Keep it up

Rev up your metabolism

Have you been feeling sluggish lately? Dealing with cravings for foods
you know aren’t great for you (like carbs and sugar)? Holding onto
stubborn weight that just won’t budge — no matter what you do?

Chances are, your metabolism is to blame.

“Your metabolism — more specifically, your metabolic rate — is how

quickly your body is burning calories,” says Julie Lohre, a certified
nutrition specialist and certified personal trainer.
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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

difficulty losing weight.

Luckily, a slow metabolism isn’t permanent, and with the right changes to
your diet and lifestyle, you can rev up your metabolism — and get back to
feeling better in the process.

And the best part? It doesn’t take long to make moves in the right
direction. Follow this three-day fix to get your metabolism on track (and
start reaping the benefits of an increased metabolic rate).
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Day 1: Saturday

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When to wake up

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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

Get a solid 8 hours of sleep

If you had a late night on Friday, spend Saturday morning catching up on

some ZZZ’s.

When you don’t get enough sleep, this can disrupt the hormone balances
in the body — which in turn slows down your metabolism and increases
your risk for weight gain.

“Sleep deprivation is perceived by the body as an additional stressor —

so cortisol goes up and testosterone drops,” says exercise physiologist
and nutritional biochemist Shawn M. Talbott, PhD.

One study from the University of Chicago found that getting only 5.5
hours of sleep each night over a two-week period reduced fat loss by 55
percent.

According to Talbott, “People who get 6 hours versus 8 hours of sleep

per night typically carry 5 to 15 pounds of extra belly fat.”

Get the most metabolism-boosting benefits from your sleep

Aim for at least 8 hours per night — and make sure those 8 hours are full
of high-quality shut-eye.

“[Make sure the sleep] that you get is as ‘high-quality’ as possible —

meaning that you spend as much time [as possible] in REM sleep, which
rejuvenates the brain, and deep sleep, which restores the body,” says
Talbott.

What to eat today

Don’t skip breakfast...

You might be tempted to run out the door in the morning, but if you want
to keep your metabolism revving all day, make time for breakfast (and a
workout!).
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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

A recent 2018 study found that eating breakfast before exercising

accelerates your metabolism post-workout.

... and have a Greek yogurt

Probiotics balance gut bacteria and help increase metabolism — so make

sure to have a Greek yogurt (which is more concentrated and has higher
levels of probiotics) with your breakfast.

To make sure you’re getting the right gut-balancing microorganisms with

your breakfast, make sure your Greek yogurt says “contains active
cultures” on the packaging.

(Yogurt not your thing? No worries! You can also get your morning
probiotic boost with supplements.)

BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS
“The bacteria in our guts influence numerous aspects of our
metabolism, so having the ‘wrong’’ balance of bugs can lead to
junk food cravings, blood sugar swings, and weight gain — while
having the ‘right’ balance of bugs can lead to less sugar cravings
and higher metabolic rate,” says Talbott.

What to do today

Work in a 20-minute strength-training circuit...

If you want to jumpstart your metabolism, a great way to do it is strength

training. “Muscle building speeds up your metabolic rate for up to 2 hours
after every 20-minute session,” says Lohre.

By doing a strength routine, you’ll build more muscle — and the more
muscle you have, the better your metabolism.
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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

If you want to strength train, you can definitely go old school and lift
weights — but that’s not your only option! Doing body-weight exercises
(like squats and planks) or hitting a TRX class is just as effective at
building muscle as exercises like bicep curls.

... or get in some cardio

Now, if you’re not used to pumping iron, strength training could leave you
feeling super sore.

But no worries! If you want to get in a metabolism-boosting workout,

cardio can be just as effective. In fact, a 2011 study found that 45 minutes
of vigorous cardio exercise increased metabolic rate for a whopping 14
hours post-workout.

To get your cardio in, you can hit the trails for a run, check out a spin
class, swim some laps — anything that gets that heart rate up!

When to go to sleep

Get to sleep before midnight

You might be tempted to stay up late and catch up with your Netflix
queue, but fight the urge! If you want to keep your metabolism revved up,
you need to get at least 8 hours of sleep — so make sure your head hits
the pillow before midnight.

Day 2: Sunday

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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

When to wake up

Wake up at 8 a.m.

If you fall asleep by midnight, say, today, aim to wake up around 8 a.m.
This gives you enough time to make sure you’re getting enough shut-eye
for a healthy metabolism but early enough so you won’t be angry at the
world when your alarm goes off for work tomorrow.

What to drink today

Start your day with a cup of coffee…

Not like you needed another reason to get your morning cup of joe, but a
little bit of caffeine is a great way to boost your metabolism.

Research shows that 100 milligrams of caffeine (about how much you’d
find in an 8-ounce cup of coffee) can boost resting metabolic rate by
anywhere from 3 to 11 percent.

Not a coffee person? No worries — you can get a similar boost to your
metabolism with a cup of green tea. In addition to caffeine, researchers
believe antioxidant catechins in tea provide the boost,” says Lohre.

… and drink plenty of H20

Coffee is great for the morning — but for the rest of the day, stick to
water.

Researchers found that drinking 16.9 ounces (a little over 2 cups) of water
increased metabolic rate by 30 percent for 30 to 40 minutes. For the most
metabolism-boosting benefits, aim to drink that 16.9 ounces of H20
multiple times throughout the day.
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What to do today

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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

Prep meals for the week — and be sure to throw in some chili peppers

One of the best ways to set yourself up for success during the week is
meal-prepping on Sundays. And if you want your prepped meals to
deliver a boost to your metabolism, make sure to turn up the heat and
throw a few chili peppers into your recipes.

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which studies show can boost your
metabolism and help you burn an extra 50 calories per day.

Increase your NEAT

There’s a lot you can do at the gym to increase your metabolism, but it’s
what you do outside of the gym that has the most effect.

“NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) — or the energy that is

expended from general daily activities — has a significant impact on the
number of calories your body burns each day,” says Lohre.

“By moving more in your daily life, you’ll see huge improvements in your
metabolism.”

Look for more opportunities to move throughout the day. Park your car
further from the entrance to your office. Take the stairs instead of the
elevator. Walk around your house during a phone call. The more you
move, the more calories you’ll burn.

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Day 3: Monday
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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

When to wake up

Wake up after you’ve had 8 hours of sleep

It’s Monday, which (probably) means the start of the work week — and
less flexibility in your wakeup time.

If you have to get up early, make sure you adjust your bedtime Sunday
night to get the full 8 hours of sleep you need for maximum metabolism-
boosting benefits. Need to get up at 6 a.m.? Be in bed by 10 p.m. Alarm
set to go off at 7 a.m.? Make sure you hit the hay by 11 p.m.

What to eat today

Add some protein to every meal

If you want to use your diet to rev your metabolism, aim to add protein to
every meal.

“Adding lean protein like eggs, chicken, and dairy to your diet will help
jumpstart the metabolism in two ways. [First,] they help support muscle
building and muscle retention... [plus] those foods themselves are more
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What to do today

Meditate

Stress (and in particular, the stress hormone cortisol) slows down the
metabolism. One 2015 study found that participants who experiences a
stressful event burned 104 calories less over the 24 hours that followed
than did their stress-free counterparts — the equivalent of nearly 11
pounds of weight gain per year.

If you want to keep stress at bay, try meditation. Mindfulness meditation

has been shown to lower cortisol levels, and you can reap the rewards
with as little as 10 to 15 minutes of meditation practice per day.

What to do the rest of the week

This three-day fix is a great start to boosting your metabolism (and feeling
better in the process) — but it’s just the beginning.

“A healthy metabolism will keep you in shape and raise your energy
levels,” says Lohre. “If you’re trying to lose weight, raising your metabolic
rate means you’ll see results faster — longer-lasting results.”

So don’t just make it a weekend fix. Look to see where you can make
long-term changes in your life so your metabolism can be consistently at
its peak.

For the rest of the week (and your life!):

1. Eat plenty of protein with each meal — 25 to 30 percent of
your total daily calories — to boost your metabolism.

2. Aim for at least 8 hours of high-quality sleep per night.

3. Eat probiotic-rich foods (or take probiotic supplements).

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5. Get in at least three metabolism-boosting workouts per week
(strength training or cardio).

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1/23/2019 How to Reset and Supercharge Your Metabolism in 3 Days

6. Stay hydrated.

After all, if you want to see real, lasting changes to your metabolism, you’ll
need to commit to real, lasting changes in your diet and lifestyle.

Deanna deBara is a freelance writer who recently

made the move from sunny Los Angeles to
Portland, Oregon. When she’s not obsessing over
her dog, waffles, or all things Harry Potter, you can
follow her journeys on Instagram.

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