How To Boost Metabolism To Lose Weight

Ever feel like no matter what you do, your metabolism just won’t cooperate? You’re eating well, exercising consistently, yet still not seeing the results you desire. 

Don’t worry—you’re not alone, and your metabolism isn’t broken.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore practical, science-backed strategies to naturally boost your metabolism, enhance fat loss, increase energy, and achieve sustainable long-term results.

10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism Naturally

Want to fire up your metabolism naturally? Here’s a quick overview of the most effective strategies you’ll find in this guide:

• Build and Maintain Muscle Mass: Strength training helps increase your resting calorie burn even when you’re not active.
• Incorporate Smart, Consistent Exercise: Combine strength training and cardio to support fat loss and keep your metabolism active – but you will burn more calories with the next tip!
• Move More Throughout the Day: Small, everyday movements like walking or standing more can significantly raise your daily calorie burn – this is where most people can make the biggest difference.
• Eat Foods That Require More Energy to Digest: Protein and whole foods help your body burn more calories through digestion.
• Balance Your Hormones Naturally: Hormonal imbalances can slow metabolism—addressing them can lead to better energy and fat-burning.
• Take Care of Your Gut Health: A healthy digestive system supports better metabolism, nutrient absorption, and overall well-being.
• Avoid Overly Restrictive Diets: Extreme dieting can backfire and slow your metabolism—there are smarter ways to lose weight sustainably.
• Prioritize Quality Sleep: Poor sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate metabolism—aim for 7-9 hours nightly.
• Stay Hydrated: Adequate hydration supports optimal metabolic function and digestion.
• Understand Your Genetic Blueprint: Knowing your genetic predispositions can help tailor the best metabolism-boosting strategies for you.

Each of these plays a critical role in your metabolic health—and by addressing them strategically, you can transform how your body burns energy and supports long-term wellness.

What Exactly Is Metabolism?

Metabolism refers to the internal processes through which your body converts food and nutrients into energy, burning calories to keep you alive and active around the clock—even when resting or sleeping. 

These processes sustain essential functions such as breathing, blood circulation, cell growth, and repair.

How fast or slow your metabolism operates can vary significantly based on genetics and lifestyle factors.

Breaking Down Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your metabolism isn’t just about how much you exercise—in fact, structured exercise typically burns the least amount of calories compared to other factors like basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily non-exercise movements. 

Improving your metabolism involves understanding your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which includes four crucial components:

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Calories your body burns at rest, simply by maintaining basic functions like breathing and circulation.
• Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): Calories burned through structured exercise.
• Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): Calories burned through daily activities outside structured workouts, such as walking and standing.
• Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): Calories used to digest and process food.

By making strategic improvements across these areas, you can significantly boost your metabolism without extreme dieting or endless cardio.

Your TDEE isn’t fixed—it can change over time depending on factors such as age, diet, activity levels, lifestyle, and sleep.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Your Biggest Calorie Burner

BMR accounts for 60-70% of your daily calorie burn. It’s primarily determined by muscle mass—more muscle equals a higher metabolic rate.

However, genetics, hormonal balance, and extreme dieting can also significantly influence your BMR.

How to Boost Your BMR

• Strength Training: Regular resistance training increases muscle mass, enhancing your resting metabolism.
• Sleep Well: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep; poor sleep negatively impacts metabolism as it affects your hormones.
• Eat Enough Calories: Avoid drastic calorie cuts. Opt for balanced meals emphasizing protein to preserve muscle mass.
• Fish Oil Supplements: Consider EPA/DHA supplementation (~3g/day), which supports muscle maintenance and metabolic health.

Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): Structured Workouts

Structured exercise contributes about 5-15% of your daily calorie expenditure.

For most people this is the smallest factor in your total caloric expenditure but it still plays an important factor in metabolism.

Although not the largest factor, exercise is vital for muscle preservation, heart health, mental health as well as body composition.

Optimizing Exercise for Metabolism

• Combine Strength and Cardio: Balance weight training with moderate cardio to maintain muscle and burn fat.
• Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Short, intense workouts can boost metabolism through the afterburn effect (EPOC).
• Avoid Excessive Cardio: Too much cardio without strength training may lead to muscle loss and slower metabolism.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): Your Secret Weapon

NEAT includes all daily movements outside structured workouts, accounting for up to 20% of your calorie burn.

This includes simple activities like walking, standing, fidgeting, cleaning, gardening, and even small gestures throughout your day. 

Increasing NEAT is one of the most effective ways to significantly enhance your calorie expenditure—often even more impactful than structured exercise.

Simple Ways to Boost NEAT

• Move Frequently: Take short, regular walks, stand more during your day, and use the stairs whenever possible.
• Active Work Habits: Use a standing desk or regularly take movement breaks throughout your day.
• Engage in Active Hobbies: Gardening, dancing, and housework significantly contribute to calorie burn.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): Burn Calories by Eating

About 5-10% of your daily calorie expenditure comes from digesting and processing the food you eat—known as the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). 

Protein-rich foods have the highest TEF, meaning your body expends more energy digesting protein compared to carbohydrates and fats.

Enhance TEF with Your Diet

• Prioritize Protein: Aim for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight daily.
• Eat Whole Foods: Unprocessed, fiber-rich foods require more energy to digest.
• Stay Hydrated: Drink water regularly to support digestion and metabolism.
• Time Your Meals: Eating larger meals earlier in the day can enhance metabolism due to improved insulin sensitivity and digestive efficiency.

Additional Factors Impacting Your Metabolism

Beyond diet and activity, other factors significantly impact your metabolism. Understanding these can help identify hidden roadblocks in your health journey.

Hormonal Imbalances

Hormones like thyroid, insulin, cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, leptin, and ghrelin play vital roles in metabolism.

Imbalances can slow your metabolism, affect weight management, and impact energy levels.

What to Do

• Regularly test hormone levels to detect and address issues early. At Planet Naturopath we can organize hormone tests either with comprehensive blood tests or hormone tests like the DUTCH test.

Gut Health

Your gut microbiome significantly affects metabolism, immunity, and overall health. Poor gut health can lead to slower metabolism and other digestive issues.

• Support your microbiome by consuming fiber-rich foods, probiotics, and staying hydrated.
• If you are experiencing any symptoms such as bloating, reflux, constipation or diarrhea then consider advanced gut testing such as the Gut Zoomer stool test.

The Role of Genetics in Metabolism

Your genetic makeup plays a significant role in determining your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and how effectively your body responds to diet and exercise.

Genetic predispositions can explain variations in metabolic rates and why some people seem to have a fast metabolism and never gain weight while others struggle.

Genetic Influence on Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

BMR accounts for 60-70% of your daily calorie burn and is heavily influenced by genetic factors. Several genes have been identified that impact BMR:

• FTO Gene: Variations in the FTO gene are associated with increased appetite and a higher likelihood of obesity. Individuals carrying certain variants may find it more challenging to lose weight through diet and lifestyle changes.
• UCP Genes: UCP1 and UCP2 genes are linked to metabolic rate and thermogenesis. Certain variants are associated with lower resting energy expenditure, potentially leading to a “sluggish metabolism.”
• MC4R Gene: Variants near the MC4R gene are associated with BMI and hunger control.

Genetic Influence on Response to Diet and Exercise

Genetic factors can modulate an individual’s response to dietary interventions and physical activity:

• FTO Gene: Carriers of certain FTO variants may lose less weight and have a lower BMI decrease in response to diet and lifestyle interventions compared to non-carriers.
• GIPR Gene: Certain variants are associated with greater decreases in fasting glucose and insulin levels in response to low-fat diets.
• PPM1K Gene: Dietary fat significantly modifies the genetic effects of PPM1K variants on changes in fasting insulin and insulin resistance.

Implications for Personalized Nutrition and Exercise

Understanding an individual’s genetic profile can help tailor more effective diet and exercise strategies. I recommend the SelfDecode genetic test as the best option to assess your genetics and how they influence your health.

• Individuals with certain FTO variants may benefit from higher protein diets for weight management.
• Those with specific TCF7L2 gene variants might see greater weight loss with high-fiber diets.
• People with UCP gene variants associated with lower metabolic rates might benefit from cold exposure therapies or increased fish oil intake to boost metabolism.

While genetics play a crucial role in metabolism, it’s important to note that lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity, and stress management can also influence genes this is known as epigenetics

Extreme Dieting

Severe calorie restriction or extreme dieting can drastically slow your metabolism over time, making it harder to lose weight sustainably.

This can lead to metabolic adaption which we will focus on next.

Understanding Metabolic Adaptation: Why Weight Loss Slows & How to Overcome It

Avoid prolonged calorie restriction as it can lead to metabolic adaptation (adaptive thermogenesis)—a survival response by your body to defend against perceived starvation. 

During calorie restriction, your body becomes significantly more metabolically efficient, reducing BMR, decreasing NEAT, improving exercise efficiency, and lowering TEF – all of this slows down your metabolism!

To counteract metabolic adaptation effectively, incorporate these evidence-based strategies:

• Implement Diet Breaks: After 8-12 weeks of calorie restriction, take 1-2 weeks at maintenance calories.
• Prioritize Protein Intake: Aim for 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram daily.
• Strength Training: 3-4 resistance sessions per week focusing on compound movements.
• Gradual Reverse Dieting: Slowly increase calories by 50-100 calories weekly after significant weight loss.
• Manage Stress & Improve Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep and practice stress management techniques.
• Periodic Maintenance Phases: Maintain your new weight for 4-6 weeks after significant weight loss to allow your metabolic rate to recover.

By consistently applying these strategies, you’ll enhance your metabolism, experience sustainable weight loss, and enjoy improved overall health.