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How to Increase BMR for Weight Loss

We’ve talked about what is BMR — your basal metabolic rate is the bare minimum calories or kilojoules your body needs to function at complete rest. You can find a BMR calculator online or use a few formulas (more in the link below), but this post will be about increasing your BMR.

Further Reading: Why is BMR important for weight loss?

How to Raise Your BMR

If you think about it, it’s quite simple. You’re looking to boost the amount of energy you need each day and what is this related to? Metabolism.

But what are the benefits of increased BMR and metabolism?

Other than being able to eat more food each day (something I’m sure we all would love to do), increasing your metabolism gives your body more energy, helps you with your weight management by helping you lose weight and then keep it off, especially since your body will burn more calories during your daily activities, as well as can help you sleep better.

How much BMR is good for weight loss? Remember, your BMR calorie intake is the bare minimum calories you should be eating in a day to function at rest. None of us rests all day every day. We walk, talk, eat, do dishes, go to work: you name it. You need to work out your active metabolic rate to then determine the number of calories you personally need to eat to function during your daily tasks.

But we digress. Let’s talk about how to increase BMR naturally. Here are some changes you can make to your daily life to help increase your BMR fast:

1. Don’t skip your meals: You need to fuel your body, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight. Make sure to start your day with a good breakfast.
2. Eat fat-burning foods: Did you know there are foods that help boost your metabolism? Make sure to add protein, spicy foods (such as those with capsaicin) and green tea to your diet. They don’t do much though, so focus on the other tips more!
3. Exercise: Exercising, especially doing anaerobic exercises like HIIT workouts and interval training, can increase your BMR. Also, building your muscle mass also helps you burn more calories, so add weight training to your routine.
4. Walk more: If you have a desk job, this can be difficult, but try to not sit for long periods as this can lower your BMR.
5. Drink more water: Drinking more water may increase your body’s fat metabolism while fasting as well as your metabolism generally.
6. Get enough sleep: You also burn calories when sleeping, up to 50 per hour, so the more you sleep, the higher your BMR will be.
7. Eat larger, less frequent meals: Some people may benefit from eating bigger, less frequent meals as it may improve the body’s calorie-burning process. This form of intermittent fasting may increase metabolism by raising norepinephrine levels, though more research is needed. Keep in mind that for boosting metabolism, this is only a short-term approach as it may have the opposite effect long-term.

Keep in mind that BMR is different for everyone due to their body size, the amount of body fat and lean muscle tissue they have, their age, their gender, hormone levels, the environment and temperature you live, whether you’re ill, if you take any drugs, have dietary deficiencies as well as the amount of physical activity you do.

Supplements to Boost Metabolism

There’s no miracle supplement to quickly fix your slow metabolism. Some supplements, however, can fix deficiencies or help other areas of your body that have an indirect effect on your metabolism. Here are a few:

• Spermidine: Spermidine mimics calorie restriction in the body by enhancing autophagy, helping boost metabolism. If interested in experiencing spermidine’s effects, you can try out Xandro Lab’s Spermidine 10mg!
• NMN: NMN has been found to improve energy metabolism and physical activity, while also helping extend health span. Xandro has two NMN supplements, Pure NMN Capsules and Pure NMN Powder, so have a browse to see which would be best for you!
• Multivitamin: You might want to look at taking a daily multivitamin if you find yourself not eating enough fresh produce each day. In particular, B vitamins are essential for energy metabolism, such as B-12’s role in metabolising protein and fat, along with B-6 and thiamine. Vitamin D deficiency is common in those with higher BMIs, while calcium is needed for a healthy metabolism and blood sugar management. Iron is needed to carry oxygen to red blood cells, which then carry oxygen to our muscles to burn fat.
• Magnesium: Magnesium, also found in multivitamins, is needed for our body to produce energy, so it’s essential for metabolism. Make sure you take a form of magnesium that’s highly absorbable and that doesn’t cause digestive issues, such as Magnesium Glycinate.
• Caffeine: Some studies have found that caffeine can help people burn more calories, although drinking caffeine every day may actually lessen this effect. You will find most gym supplements contain caffeine, so this should help you when you work out.
• L-Carnitine: This substance helps your body turn fat into energy, as well as helps with heart disease and other diseases. Stick to recommended dosages as too much may be dangerous.
• Resveratrol: Some studies have found resveratrol may help in the treatment of metabolic syndrome as well as mimic caloric restriction, improving energy expenditure. Try out Xandro’s highly absorbable Trans Resveratrol 500mg!

We have a whole article on how to increase metabolism, which you can read below:

Further Reading: Top Ways to Increase Your Metabolism

End Note

Improving your metabolism and BMR can be difficult, and really, there is no quick fix. Start by improving your lifestyle and habits, improving your health in various areas of your life, and you should find your BMR increasing.

Make sure to speak with your doctor before making any changes as they will help give you tailored advice aligned with your medical history.

If you’re looking for an extra boost to help in your weight loss efforts, consider trying out Xandro’s Lean XP, a supplement without caffeine, stimulants or steroids!