People who are overweight, and who lament the fact that their friends can eat anything while not gaining a pound, often think they're born with a slow metabolism and that's just how it's going to be. The fact is, though, that you can raise your metabolism by eating healthy foods, exercising and using caffeine to get a fast metabolism. Drinking coffee first thing in the morning and then working out can get your metabolism really raging. Then, you can keep that fire burning all day long by eating good foods and drinking lots of water. Don't drink any more than two cups of coffee, though, because believe it or not, caffeine can slow metabolism down.
Coffee Can Slow Your Metabolism Down?
Ask most people if they think that caffeine slows metabolism and they'll likely think you're crazy. Of course caffeine doesn't slow metabolism, this group would say, caffeine makes you feel up, it gets you going, it gets you ready to go. But have you ever drank too much coffee to the point where you get that acidic feeling in the pit of your stomach? Don't you find as though you almost feel more tired? Your body is overcompensating from receiving so much stimulant that it's force feeding you chemicals to slow you back down. In essence, what your body is doing is slowing your metabolism because of caffeine.
No More Than Two Cups
If you're going to drink coffee, you might want to stick to a half caffeine, have decaf blend or just drink two regular cups of coffee and then switch to decaf. You should be aware that decaf coffee also has caffeine in it, albeit a small amount, so make sure you limit yourself on that as well. Yes, decaffeinated coffee can slow metabolism too.
You can still drink coffee and still lose weight. The two are not mutually exclusive. You just have to drink your coffee like you enjoy everything else in life: in moderation. Drink no more than two cups per day, drink lots of water and eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein and you'll never have to worry about caffeine slowing down your metabolism again.
Just make sure you also add some exercise to the mix to maximize your results. Building muscle, getting your heart pumping, along with caffeine and a healthy diet is the best way to effectively, and permanently, lose weight.