During this present fitness boom, hordes of people are looking to burn off excess weight by consuming various foods and supplements that boost metabolism. As with most areas of this nature, folks want a magic formula that will quickly and effortlessly solve their problems. And, although both foods and supplements are effective aids at tackling weight loss, they are only cogs in the metabolism mechanism.

Let’s take a look at how to increase your metabolism in order to achieve effective weight loss goals.

Food and Metabolism

You can indeed boost your metabolism by eating certain foods. Drinking plenty of water and water-filled foods like soups, along with water-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, help to dilute existing calories and keep you fuller so you won’t over-consume calories. A recent study conducted at Penn State University showed that women who chose to eat soup before lunch consumed around 100 less calories at lunchtime than women who chose other pre-lunch snacks that didn’t contain water.

Fruits, veggies, and whole grains that are high in fiber take longer to digest and produce steady levels of insulin that is used to prevent fat storage. If insulin supplies spike quickly due to high blood sugar levels from eating the wrong foods then fat storage is encouraged instead of discouraged. Consuming lean meats also helps to burn calories. Meats are denser and require more energy for digestion. The energy necessary to digest meat fiber is gleaned from available calories, which results in a loss of weight since those calories are consumed and not stored as fat reserves. Some of the top foods that are proven to assist weight loss are: low-fat yogurt, oatmeal, green tea, apples, grapefruit, pears, broccoli, hot peppers and lean turkey.

Supplements and Metabolism

Weight loss supplements are another effective tool in the battle to lose weight. Because supplements are scientifically created and modified (in most cases), they are designed to target specific body needs in order to combat fat stores, calorie burning processes, and other metabolic reactions that aid weight loss.

Exercise and Metabolism

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, both food and supplements are not very effective within themselves at overcoming and maintaining weight loss. Sure, you might experience initial results due to a real change in your body’s metabolism. However, the changes incurred through foods or supplementation alone are usually minimal and short-lived. There is a key element missing.

That key element is exercise. By working out on a regular basis, your body becomes more efficient at creating, stimulating, and transporting various elements necessary for properly burning fat and calories. High intensity exercise is especially effective at raising your metabolism and keeping it high for extended periods of time so that you are burning calories even while resting.