Dear Karen,
I’m really struggling with my weight. Is there something I can do to speed up my metabolism? Kylie.

Karen's response:

Dear Kylie,

Our metabolic rate is the rate at which we burn kilojoules and let’s face it we would all like to have a fast metabolism! Our resting metabolic rate is largely genetically determined so there’s not much we can do to change that, however there are a few things we can do to increase our metabolic rate overall.

We need to prevent muscle loss which can occur as we age, become inactive or lose too much weight too quickly. Muscle is much more metabolically active than fat so that the more muscle we have the faster our metabolic rate. The best way to build muscle is to do some strength training, lift weights or simply use your muscles. Being physically active also helps to burn kilojoules and the increase in metabolic rate associated with activity even continues for some time after depending on the type of activity.

Do not skip meals. To keep the engine room burning you need to add fuel regularly, so eating 6 to 8 mini meals a day instead of one large meal can give a sluggish metabolism a boost. There has also been a suggestion that eating hot spicy foods like chilli can speed things up. It appears to be the capsaicin in chilli that does the trick, however the effect is only temporary.