A faster metabolism means you automatically burn more calories every minute of the day (and night). Here are six proven ways to boost your metabolic rate:

1. Move More

You burn around 1 Cal per minute at rest, 4 Cal per minute walking briskly and over 8 Cal per minute running fast. You can dramatically increase your metabolic rate by moving more often and with more effort, even for short intervals during the day.

2. Build Muscle

Every kilogram of muscle burns 10 Cal (42 kJ) at rest every day. Over a year, the math is simple – add 1kg of muscle to automatically (even when you’re asleep) burn off 1kg of body fat. Perform some resistance work at least twice per week with your own body weight, kettle bells, dumb bells, barbells or resistance bands. Allow a day recovery from weights in between sessions to allow for muscle repair and growth.

3. Eat more protein

Protein in food costs more energy to digest and absorb than carbohydrate or fat. Eating protein-rich foods like fish, chicken, lean unprocessed meats, pulses, eggs, yoghurt, milk and cheese makes your body work harder and burn more calories to process what you eat. Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth.

4. Eat enough calories

Drastically cutting calories can drop your metabolic rate by around 5% after just one day and by 10% after a week of semi-starvation. Eat at least 5000 kJ / 1200 Cal per day. Eat more if your body size and activity requires it. Recent research has shown that intermittent fasting can be dangerous for women. Some women who try intermittent fasting experience missed periods, metabolic disturbances, and even early-onset menopause. Sure, it can work for some women. But here’s why intermittent fasting could be bad — even counterproductive — for your goals. If you want to know more about this refer to this article by Helen Kollias: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting-women?utm_source=IFWomen&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=IFWomenEmail

5. Consume chilled water

Swallowing around 500mL of cold water could boost your metabolic rate by around 30% above rest for an hour after drinking. This is only 100 kJ / 25 Cal, but it becomes significant when you drink more chilled water over a day - 2 litres could burn you 400 kJ / 100 Cal a day, which adds up over a year. Your body works to increase the water temperature and burns extra energy.

6. Drink green tea

Unlike many so-called ‘thermogenic’ supplements, which are either dangerous or useless, drinking enough green tea can give your metabolic rate a nudge of around 300 kJ / 70 Cal a day. You’ll need to consume 4-5 cups a day of green tea to get the benefits.

7. What about eating every 3 hours?

You may have heard that eating every 3 hours speeds your metabolism. However, your 24-hour metabolic rate will actually be no different, whether you eat the same foods in 6 smaller meals versus 3 larger meals. It costs your body the same energy to digest and process. The benefit that can occur here is that you don't feel so hungry you will eat anything in sight! !