How to ‘reset’ your metabolism with the new diet trend that experts say could keep you skinny

It’s one of the hardest parts of losing weight.

Even after months of dieting and exercise, falling back into bad habits for just a few days or weeks can start to tip the scales in the wrong direction again.

This is largely why, despite more than half of people in Britain having tried a diet, almost two-thirds say they have not achieved as much weight loss as they had hoped.

Many people complain that no matter how hard they try, their body seems to want to put the weight back on.

Experts say they don’t imagine this. More and more research shows that everyone has a standard weight, dictated by genes, to which the body tries to return.

This phenomenon, called set point theory, is said to explain why some people can stay thin no matter what they eat.

In turn, experts claim that this theory is the reason why overweight people find dieting so difficult. Research shows that many obese people experience intense hunger pangs and fatigue during a new diet, making it nearly impossible to continue.

‘It’s like there’s a thermostat in our brain that’s set to a specific number,’ says Dr Alexander Miras, clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University.

‘You can lose weight, but eventually your body will sabotage it and gain weight when you stop dieting. And it also works the other way around: you will have difficulty gaining or maintaining weight.’

So it’s no surprise that a new diet trend, which promises to ‘reset’ the body’s default weight to make it lower naturally, has taken the internet by storm.

Videos promoting the diet, also known as a metabolism reset, have been viewed by millions of people on the social media app TikTok.

It refers to the metabolic system: the complex body system that determines how the body creates, stores and uses energy from the food we eat.

It is often said that skinny people have fast metabolisms, meaning they burn off their excess energy quickly, while heavier people have slow metabolisms, meaning they are more likely to store this energy as fat.

Influencers who promote metabolism reset diets often claim that cutting out artificially processed foods – such as sugary cereals, soft drinks and chips – is crucial for speeding up the metabolic system.

This is because they are filled with saturated fat, sugar and calories that, if consumed in excess, are more likely to be converted into fat in the body.

Other oft-repeated tips include eating more protein (found in meat, fish, eggs and fiber) because the body needs more energy to digest it.

Some influencers even claim that consuming spicy foods is crucial for speeding up metabolism because it apparently increases the body’s internal temperature, causing more calories to be burned.

But experts have poured cold water on the theory that simple dietary changes can “fix” metabolism.

“I distrust anyone who claims to be on a diet that can alter metabolism,” says Dr. Miras. ‘If I see evidence that it works, I’m open to it. But I haven’t seen any.

‘They are usually healthy and based on the principles of the Mediterranean diet: olive oil, nuts and seeds and lots of fruit and vegetables.

‘It will lead to modest weight loss and protect your heart. But at the cellular level, can it affect your metabolism? That is very unclear.’

However, experts say there are other simple steps people can take that — while they can’t reset your metabolism — can help it function more effectively.

Read on for more information…

FORGET INTERMITTENT FASTING – EAT SMALL MEALS OFTEN

It is the trendy way to lose weight and is said to boost metabolism and suppress inflammation in the body. But intermittent fasting – advocated by everyone from Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – can cause you to store energy instead of burning it, experts say.

The plan involves eating within an eight-hour window and consuming nothing but water for the remaining 16 hours a day. This causes you to eat less overall and once the body reaches a state of fasting about six to eight hours after the last meal, it signals the body’s cells to switch from burning glucose for energy to burning of fat reserves, resulting in weight loss. . Research also suggests that it helps regulate hormones related to hunger and appetite.

But David Strain, associate professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Exeter, says it ‘doesn’t really help’ your metabolism.

‘There are all these conversations about whether or not you should have breakfast, and whether you should eat after 6pm as a natural alternative to Ozempic and Mounjaro,’ says Prof Strain.

‘To be honest, it doesn’t do much for your metabolism and is just simple biomechanics: if you eat after 6pm, your food is digested while you sleep and so is stored as fat.’

Instead, Dr. Strain advises that eating “little and often” can be more beneficial for the body’s metabolism.

Studies suggest that eating smaller meals more regularly encourages the body to immediately burn the food that comes in.

“At the cellular level, we don’t really understand what’s going on,” he says. ‘We think that the regular rise and fall of hormones while eating instructs the mitochondria, the ‘battery packs’ in the cells, to store or use energy from food.

‘If you eat small amounts of food regularly, your metabolism increases because your body is happy to use the energy to fulfill its background functions – and doesn’t think about whether it should store the energy in case it needs it later. ‘

TAKE THAT SUNDAY WALK AFTER YOUR Roast, NOT BEFORE

It’s tempting not to eat before exercising to avoid feeling sluggish. But experts recommend eating at least 20-30 minutes before doing activities to regulate metabolism.

‘Most of us go for a nice walk on a Sunday before coming home and having a roast dinner, or ending up in the pub,’ says Prof Strain.

‘It should be the other way around. If you start exercising about half an hour after eating, your body will receive and use the nutrients it needs.

‘When you exercise and then eat, your body craves food and thinks it needs to store the energy from what you consume so it has enough for next time.’

BUILD MUSCLE TO BURN MORE FAT

It’s not a magical overnight solution, but the more muscle you have, the more efficient your metabolism because muscle burns more calories.

Any strength-building exercise will help – from walking in the hills to lifting weights, climbing stairs to simply digging in the garden.

Experts say this is because muscle tissue uses more energy than fat. Therefore, it is often referred to as ‘metabolically active tissue’.

Dr. Duane Mellor, dietitian at Aston Medical School, explains: ‘Any resistance exercise will maintain and potentially increase muscle mass, giving you a greater amount of metabolically active tissue – ultimately increasing engine capacity and burning more fuel.’

With extra muscle on board, you’ll burn more calories, whether you’re sleeping or physically active, says Dr. Charlotte Norton, chief medical officer of online weight loss clinic The Slimming Clinic.

‘The number of calories you burn at rest is greatly influenced by the composition of your body,’ says Dr Norton. ‘Someone who has more skeletal muscle mass burns more calories at rest, because muscle cells do more at rest than a fat cell and therefore need more energy.’

TURN THE THERMOSTAT DOWN

Most people set their room temperature to around 21 or 22 degrees Celsius. But – unless you’re elderly – you need to be exposed to something cooler for a more efficient metabolism.

Studies have shown that people exposed to enough cold to shiver a little saw the white fat in their bodies — which stores energy from food — turn into brown fat, which burns that energy to produce heat.

Not only that, the more brown fat you have, the less you have to shiver to stay warm and the better you adapt to the lower temperatures, so you also save money on your heating bills.

“We keep our houses too warm,” says Prof. Strain. ‘If you turn them down a few degrees – even 19 to 21 degrees Celsius can be enough – bad fat is converted into good fat and helps the body burn more energy.’

…BUT HEALTHY EATING AND SOME SUPPLEMENTS ARE STILL IMPORTANT

While dieting alone can’t boost metabolism, there are still things you can do to make it as efficient as possible – and it’s all about eating a healthy, balanced diet and making sure you get enough of the key vitamins and nutrients. minerals known to be beneficial.

“It feels like this is the same thing we say to people all the time, but that’s because it’s really important,” says Dr. Norton.

‘Eat a healthy and nutritious diet with plenty of lean protein, beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

‘Fish or olive oil are very important because they contain Omega 3, which has an anti-inflammatory effect. Less inflammation helps the cells function better.’

Dr. Mellor adds: ‘There is little to no evidence that supplements and herbal remedies can improve metabolism, but some do help maintain normal metabolism.’

‘Calcium is important for maintaining normal digestive enzyme function, proteins that break down food into nutrients.

‘While B vitamins help convert the food we eat into energy that the body can use.’