The secret recipe for speeding up metabolism for women with small belly who can't lose weight

"Doctor, I have tried many weight loss methods, but my belly fat just won't go away. What should I do?" The weight loss clinic often encounters middle-aged women who come to the clinic with big bellies. They are obviously not pregnant, but their bellies look like they are 3 or 4 months pregnant. In fact, this is a problem with metabolism. Even if your appetite remains the same, you may get fatter and fatter.

If you want to lose weight in your belly, you first need to improve your metabolism and start by changing your daily habits. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

Although factors such as physique, genetics and age can affect the speed of metabolism, not many people are born with a slow metabolism. Most people can effectively improve their metabolism through acquired adjustments. In fact, if you want to lose weight successfully, you first need to improve your metabolism, and the basic method is to start with changes in your daily life:

1. Drink more water and less alcohol

The body needs water in the process of burning calories, which can also promote metabolism. According to a study, adults who drink more than 8 glasses of water (about 2,000 ml) a day may burn more calories. Studies have shown that drinking alcohol while eating can easily lead to overeating, and 1 glass of wine is equivalent to 100 calories, which accumulate in the body and affect metabolism.

2. Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep will affect the body's metabolic function. Those who sleep less than 4 hours a night will have greater difficulty in breaking down carbohydrates. When you feel tired, your body lacks the energy to maintain day-to-day functional activities (which includes burning calories), so your body's metabolic capacity will naturally decrease. Ways to restore sleep include not eating at midnight; not exercising before going to bed; taking a hot bath or doing yoga before going to bed to help you sleep.

3. Eat more protein

The calories required to consume protein are twice as much as those required to consume fat or carbohydrates. Protein-rich foods can quickly start the metabolism mechanism during meals. Lean beef, pork, fish, chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs and low-fat dairy products are all good sources of protein.

4. Do aerobic exercise

Increasing the quality and quantity of exercise is the most direct and fastest way to speed up metabolism, and it must be at least "3 times a week, 30 minutes each time, and a heart rate of more than 130 beats per minute after exercise" to be beneficial to health. Aerobic exercise speeds up your metabolism and can last for hours. Compared to moderate exercise, high-intensity exercise can increase your resting metabolic rate more and longer.