Metabolic rate is based on age, height, weight and activity level. This will help to determine how many calories your body can consume and the number of calories you burn while eating and exercising. Metabolism is the process of breaking down carbohydrates, protein and fats to give your body energy. When you’re young, the muscle mass stores up energy, preventing weight gain. By the time you reach 30- 40, your metabolism starts to slow down. That’s why, fat gets accumulated and your weight increases.

Do not cut your daily calorie intake drastically, your body goes into starvation mode; this actually slows metabolism.

The best way to diet effectively is to cut out a small amount of calories.

Add more protein to your diet (Only if you don’t have any kidney problems). The digestion of proteins is the most time consuming. It takes over three hours to break down and assimilate proteins and burn calories.

Eat within an hour of waking up to keep your body from going into hunger overdrive and starvation mode. Eating also improves your mood and concentration.

Try to have three meals a day, plus two healthy snacks. This technique will help you stay full and avoid overeating.

You may try coffee or black tea for weight loss, due to the presence of caffeine, which boosts metabolism. However, be cautious while adding extra milk or sugar, to avoid extra calorie consumption.

Add green tea to your diet. Green tea helps in raising resting metabolism by 5%, and it does not have much caffeine. It also contains catechins, an antioxidant, which helps in maintain a healthy weight.

Dark chocolate also contains catechins and caffeine, which can help you lose weight. But, don’t go overboard, make sure that you are only eating about 28gm per day to limit the fat and calories.

Zinc reduces hunger by increasing your level of leptin, a hormone that gives you a feeling of satiety. Zinc rich foods /fruits are wheat, pumpkin seeds, cashewnuts, spinach, fish, mushroom, chocolate, pomegranates, dates, cabbage, potatoes and broccoli.

Cpsaicin, a chemical present in capsicums, gives the peppers their pungency. This chemical uses more energy for several hours after eating; which helps burn fat.

Do any kind of exercise .When you exercise, your muscles wake up, demand more calories and this helps burn calories faster.

Maintaining a good mood will help you stick to a healthy diet, it also makes you productive, and increases your confidence and personality.

Have any kind of fruit within an hour of waking up. Fruits are nutritious and healthy. Besides, they will keep you full for a longer time.

Eat small meals throughout the day. Include meals like salads, nuts etc, when you are feeling hungry.

Include good quality protein in your diet. Like eggs and meat, if you are a vegetarian then you can get good or completeprotein by mixing cereals and pulses together like khichadi. There are many other sources of protein like soya, nuts, whole grains, and sprouts.

Keep yourself very well hydrated, by sipping on water at regular intervals. Don’t confuse thirst with hunger.

Eat something before you exercise. Exercising on an empty stomach will ensure that your body uses a small amount of calories during exercise because you have fed nothing to the muscles. This leaves you feeling hungrier later, you may overeat.

Eat less, but never starve. Starvation can cause you to overeat and ruin your efforts to lose weight.

Try interval training, which will involve changing the intensity of your workout throughout each session. For example, if you walk for fitness, try jogging for one minute every five minutes.

Good metabolism cannot just be achieved by eating healthy food and exercise, you also need a goodnight’s rest. So, make it a point to sleep well

Limit is the key. Don’t go overboard with anything. This will just ruin your health. So, moderation and limitation are key for good health and successful weight loss.