Your metabolism is a key component of weight loss. When it’s working well and quickly, your fat-burning potential is high. It’s your metabolism that helps your body burn calories, eliminate fat and shed excess weight – and you don’t need to run a single mile or power through any sit-ups. However, an important element of your metabolism is eating. As surprising as it may sound, eating regular meals fires up your metabolism; skipping meals and cutting back your food intake drastically will actually slow down your metabolism and hinder its effects. Experts recommended eating healthy, well-rounded meals to keep your metabolism at its best possible speed, so make sure you’re eating when hungry and not skipping important meals like breakfast or dinner.

Another way you can rev up your metabolism to its fullest fat-burning potential is with a little spice. Eating spicy foods is known to increase body temperature and trigger the sympathetic nervous system, both of which get your body sweating and working hard. As your body temperature rises and your heart pounds from the spicy taste, your metabolism can increase as much as 20 percent. Those who eat spicy food more often, or who add spices like chili powder, report feeling hungry less often and more balanced in energy – which means the sweat you break from a jalapeno can be as effective as a sweaty workout.