“Even when you sleep, your body requires energy to continue developing functions such as breathing or repairing damaged cells,” says Donald Hensrud, Director of the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program. That is, metabolism is that process that takes place in the body and that converts the food you eat into the energy your body needs to function.

That’s why controlling your metabolic rate is critical for your body to work properly and keep both your energy levels and your weight at bay. According to experts, there are 5 secrets that keep your metabolism and 5 tips that will make you lose weight faster:

1. Dieting slows your metabolism

“Whenever calorie intake is reduced, the metabolic rate drops,” they report from the National Institutes of Health. And it’s proven: people with obesity have a metabolic rate of 3% to 5% lower than those who have never had a weight loss plan. But there is a solution: regular exercise can counteract the effect.

TIP: Reduce your intake by 500 calories a day and lose exactly the same amount by exercising. A deficit of 1,000 calories a day will help you lose almost 1 kilo a week.

2. Stress hurts your weight loss

When you’re tired, your metabolism stops causing the foods you eat to be stored in your body in the form of fat. According to a study conducted by Ohio University, “this effect can make you gain up to 5 kilos a year even if you eat little and healthily.”

TIP: Eliminate your anxiety with these 5 techniques and release stress with at least 30 minutes of dirary exercise.

3. Intermittent Fasting Leads to Slimming

Although many experts have warned against fasting and detox plans that have become fashionable, a University of Illinois study has shown that a controlled and intermittent fasting can cause you to lose weight. “It’s about alternating the days: one eating unrestricted, the other consuming only 500 calories. And all without altering your metabolism,” explains studio author Krista Varady.

TIP: Although it may prove effective in the short term, its effects are not entirely determined in the long term, experts warn. You shouldn’t do it without the supervision of a doctor, but you can compensate for the days of excess exercise and healthy diet by generating the greatest balance possible.

4. Proteins are the key

They are essential to build and build muscle but the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn when you exercise. “Proteins help prevent muscle tissue from breaking, which occurs as you age or by reducing calorie intake when you diet,” says Caroline Cederquist, author of The MD Factor Diet.

TIP: To achieve its positive effects and not store in your body as fat, divide your intake into several doses a day into regular portions. Experts recommend consuming them in the form of meats, seafood, legumes, eggs, dairy and nuts.

5. Lifting Weights (correctly) strengthens your metabolism

Strength training is the best method to combat the slowdown of your age-causing metabolism. However, according to a study published in the UK this year, “the ideal strategy is to do it slowly, you will gain more muscle.”

TIP: Rest for 2 to 3 minutes between each lift and practice HIIT training to increase benefits.