5 Proven Ways To Boost Metabolism To Lose Weight (From Someone Who Lost 20kg)

5 proven ways to boost metabolism naturally, burn more calories, lose weight, and support long-term fat loss with healthy habits (from someone who lost 20kg and maintained it).

During my first postpartum journey, I had a lot of weight to lose. By the time I reached one year postpartum, I was actually 6–8kg heavier than I had been at just two months postpartum. I felt frustrated because I was doing everything I thought was supposed to help. I was working out regularly, doing constant cardio, eating less, and tracking every calorie that went into my body. Yet my weight and body fat simply wouldn’t budge.

As a mum with a little one who rarely slept well, I was exhausted, stressed, and constantly running on empty. Looking back, it’s no surprise that my metabolism was struggling too. I knew I needed to find sustainable, natural ways to boost metabolism without spending hours exercising or following restrictive diets that felt more like punishment than a healthy lifestyle.

So I started learning about the best ways to boost metabolism, support my body naturally, and lose weight in a way that actually fit into my busy life. Instead of focusing on quick fixes, I built simple habits that improved my overall health and helped my body work more efficiently.

The result? I lost 20kg, maintained that weight loss, and carried the same healthy habits into my second pregnancy. Because of that, I only had around 5kg to lose postpartum the second time around, and I avoided the unhealthy weight gain I experienced during my first pregnancy.

If you’re looking for natural ways to boost metabolism to lose weight and keep it off, these simple habits can make a huge difference. The key is consistency. Small changes done consistently will always beat extreme approaches that are impossible to maintain.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing 5 proven ways to boost metabolism naturally so you can lose weight, burn fat more efficiently, and feel your healthiest for the long term.

This post is all about ways to boost metabolism naturally to lose weight!

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5 Ways To Boost Metabolism Naturally

1. Strength Training

One of the best ways to boost metabolism naturally is through strength training.

Many people who want to lose weight and body fat focus heavily on cardio. While cardio can help you burn calories during your workout, strength training offers benefits that continue long after you’ve finished exercising.

When you lift weights, your body builds lean muscle mass. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, meaning it requires more energy to maintain. Simply put, the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns throughout the day—even while you’re resting.

This is why strength training is often considered one of the most effective ways to boost metabolism to lose weight. Not only does it help you build a stronger body, but it also helps increase your daily calorie burn without spending hours exercising.

How often should you strength train to boost your metabolism?

Aim for 3 strength training sessions per week. This is enough for most people to build muscle, improve body composition, and support a healthy metabolism.

Personally, I strength trained at least 4 times per week after my first baby, which helped me lose 20kg and maintain that weight loss long term. I continued these same habits during my second pregnancy, which helped me avoid excessive weight gain and made postpartum weight loss much easier.

Remember: you don’t need to spend hours in the gym. Consistency matters far more than perfection.

2. Eat More Protein

If you’re wondering what to eat to increase metabolism, increasing your protein intake is one of the simplest changes you can make.

Protein plays an important role in repairing and building muscle tissue. Since muscle helps increase your metabolic rate, eating enough protein supports your metabolism both directly and indirectly.

Protein also has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF) compared to carbohydrates and fats. This means your body uses more energy to digest, absorb, and process protein, causing you to burn slightly more calories after eating.

Another huge benefit of protein is that it helps keep you fuller for longer. Higher protein meals can reduce cravings, help control hunger, and make it easier to maintain a calorie deficit if weight loss is your goal.

High Quality Protein To Include In Your Meal Plans

Eggs
Chicken and meats
Fish and seafood
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese

Try to include a source of protein with every meal and snack to support muscle growth, fat loss, and a healthy metabolism.

3. Stay Hydrated

When people search for drinks that speed up your metabolism or a morning drink to boost metabolism, they’re often looking for a magic solution.

The truth is that one of the most effective and overlooked ways to boost metabolism naturally is simply staying hydrated.

Water plays a key role in many bodily processes, including digestion, nutrient transport, energy production, and fat metabolism. When you’re dehydrated, your body cannot function as efficiently as it should.

Staying hydrated may also help prevent overeating. Many people mistake thirst for hunger, leading them to snack unnecessarily when what they really need is water.

Aim for around 2–3 litres of water per day, although your needs may be higher if you exercise regularly, live in a hot climate, or sweat heavily.

Extra Hydration Tips

On workout days or during hot weather, consider adding electrolytes. I personally like Humantra – so many delicious flavours (current favourite: berry pomegranate).

Natural options include:

Water with fresh lemon juice and a pinch of Celtic sea salt
Coconut water

A high-quality electrolyte supplement can also be helpful if you’re very active.

While drinks like green tea, coffee, or ginger shots may provide a small metabolic boost, water remains the most important drink for supporting a healthy metabolism and overall health.

4. Prioritize Sleep And Rest

Sleep is often overlooked when discussing metabolism, but it’s one of the most important factors for long-term fat loss and overall health.

Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night whenever possible.

Getting enough sleep doesn’t just help boost metabolism—it also improves energy levels, workout performance, recovery, food choices, and daily movement.

When you’re sleep deprived, several things can happen:

Increased hunger and cravings
Reduced energy and motivation
Poorer food choices
Increased stress levels
Reduced exercise performance

Sleep also helps regulate important hormones involved in appetite and blood sugar control.

Poor sleep can increase insulin resistance, making it harder for your body to manage blood sugar effectively. Over time, this can contribute to increased fat storage.

Another important reason to prioritise sleep is cortisol management.

Cortisol is often called the “stress hormone.” Chronically elevated cortisol levels can contribute to muscle breakdown and increased storage of visceral fat (fat around the abdomen).

If you’re doing all the right things with nutrition and exercise but still struggling with weight loss, improving your sleep could be the missing piece of the puzzle.

5. Increase Your NEAT

One of the easiest ways to boost metabolism is by increasing your NEAT.

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which is simply the calories you burn through everyday movement outside of structured exercise.

This includes:

Walking
Taking the stairs
Housework
Gardening
Standing instead of sitting
Playing with your children
Walking while talking on the phone

Many people complete a workout and then spend the rest of the day sitting. Unfortunately, exercising for one hour doesn’t completely offset sitting for the other 23 hours.

Increasing your daily movement can significantly increase the number of calories you burn without feeling like you’re “working out.”

Simple ways to increase NEAT:

Aim for 6,000–10,000 steps daily
Take the stairs instead of lifts or escalators
Walk short journeys instead of driving
Park further away from your destination
Walk while taking phone calls
Do household chores regularly
Play actively with your children
Stand up and move every hour

If you have a desk job:

Walk to and from work if possible
Get off public transport one stop earlier
Take a walk during your lunch break
Set a reminder to move every hour
Walk for at least 5 minutes every hour
Choose stairs over lifts whenever possible

Even small increases in daily movement can make a huge difference over time. Combined with strength training, adequate protein, hydration, and quality sleep, increasing your NEAT is one of the most effective ways to boost metabolism and support sustainable weight loss.

Need Help Putting These Habits Into Practice?

Knowing the best ways to boost metabolism is one thing, but staying consistent with those habits is what truly leads to long-term weight loss and results.

If you’re ready to lose weight without restrictive diets, endless cardio, or starting over every Monday, my Weight Loss Guide & Journal was created to help you build sustainable habits that actually fit into real life.

Inside, you’ll learn exactly how to create a calorie deficit, improve your nutrition, manage cravings, increase daily movement, and build healthy habits that support long-term fat loss.

What’s Included?

✔️ Complete Weight Loss Guide & Journal

✔️ 12-Week Workout Plan with video demonstrations

✔️ 27 Healthy Recipes and Meal Ideas

✔️ Meal Planning Templates

✔️ Habit and Progress Tracking Tools

✔️ A 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge to help you build momentum, stay consistent, or get back on track whenever life gets in the way

✔️ One-to-One Email Support whenever you need guidance, motivation, or have questions along your journey

This is the exact approach that helped me lose 20kg after my first pregnancy, maintain my weight loss, and avoid excessive weight gain during my second pregnancy. The guide is now helping over 400 women see amazing results!

If you’re looking for a sustainable approach to weight loss that focuses on healthy habits rather than quick fixes, this guide will give you the tools, structure, and support you need to succeed.

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5 Proven Ways To Boost Metabolism To Lose Weight (From Someone Who Lost 20kg)