Metabolism is the process that our bodies go through to convert calories into energy. That means the faster our metabolism, the more calories we burn off. However, our metabolism rate tends to slow as we age. That’s why most of us gain weight as we grow older. We may not be able to control our age, but there are ways to boost our metabolism so it’s easier to lose weight. Here’s how:

1) Start your day right

With breakfast, of course! Just like how you would start your car engine before driving off, breakfast signals to your body to start working. In fact, studies have shown that eating breakfast can increase your resting metabolism by up to 10%!

2) Go for protein

Our body digests protein more slowly than it does carbohydrates or fat. This means increased metabolism, as more calories will be used to digest protein. Plus, if you have some protein for breakfast, it’ll help you feel full longer.

3) Ditch the crash diet

Severely restricting the number of calories you consume though a crash diet might just backfire on you. If you eat too little, your metabolism automatically slows, because it mistakenly thinks that resources are scarce and starts conserving calories.

4) Coffee, (green) tea and water.

Both coffee and green tea can give your metabolism a short boost. Best part? Green tea is naturally calorie-free. Our bodies need water for digestion, so drinking enough will speed up the burning of calories.

5) Sweat it out

When you exercise, you burn calories. We all know that. But what’s more interesting is that your body continues to burn calories after you stop exercising, at a faster rate than normal. For best results, try some high intensity training where you alternate vigorous bouts of exercise with short recovery breaks.