While you can’t fully control the metabolism you were born with, there are some habits you can adopt that will help keep your metabolic rate higher than normal. The higher your metabolism, the more calories you burn at any time of the day (even while sleeping). Try to adopt one habit each week until you’ve adopted all of them.

Eat LESS food MORE frequently

You burn some calories every time you digest a meal. Eating 5-6 mini-meals daily every 2-3 hours keeps your metabolic engine fired up more than if you just ate 3 large meals a day. Just be sure that your portions remain small (about 200-300 calories per mini-meal). Also, eat protein and good fats at each meal.

Stay hydrated

Even being slightly dehydrated will slow your metabolism. Given that our metabolism needs all the help it can get, be sure to drink at least 8 cups of water a day in addition to eating water-laden fruits and veggies. Being thirsty can trigger hunger, leading you to ingest calories you don’t need. Try to drink 1-2 cups of water with each meal.

Act like children – in the physical sense

While adults can sit still for hours on end, children usually can’t. Be fidgety and take frequent breaks to walk around, stand and stretch hourly so you’re not sitting still for hours on end. Your body was made to move so let it move.

Control stress

Being stressed elevates cortisol levels which leads to fat accumulation. Chronically stressed people tend to have a slow metabolism and be overweight. Ways to combat stress include exercise and sleeping regularly.

Hit the sack

Less than 7 hrs of sleep on a regular basis will lower your metabolism and increase cortisol in your body (see above). Manage time so you can get 7-8 hrs of sleep nightly. Being tired also increases your sugar cravings.

Be a chef

It’s not shocking news to hear that eating at restaurants often will expand your waistline. You’ll burn calories by grocery shopping and chopping veggies (not by sitting in a diner). Also, you can control the ingredients that go into your dish when you cook. Certain spices (cayenne pepper/ginger) add flavor and may increase metabolism.

Lift heavy

Muscles have a huge influence on metabolism. They are metabolically ‘live’: they constantly burn calories even at rest. On the other hand, fat cells secrete inflammatory agents, which can lead to disease. The goal of weight training is to gain lean tissue to increase metabolism, and to reduce fat to prevent disease. You can’t increase muscle if you don’t overload your muscles.

Speed it up

Steady state cardio burns some calories, but to really boost your metabolism, do intervals (remember, BollyX is a cardio dance class based on High Intensity Interval Training principles; therefore this format is a great way to boost your metabolism). The harder you push yourself, the more calories you’ll burn during and after the session (your metabolism is always slightly elevated for several hours post workout). This advice applies to weight lifting too. Increase the intensity by resting less between sets or jumping rope during your regular rest period.

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