Boy, this is a tough question! I'll do my best to explain metabolism and how to change it....as I understand it!
First, what is metabolism? It is the term for the way cells chemically change food so that it can stored or used for energy and make the proteins, fats, and sugars needed by the body.
So how does your metabolism change? It changes in response to how much food you eat, how often you eat, how long between meals, how much activity you get, how much lean muscle mass you have, and other factors.
Yo-yo dieting can wreak havoc on your metabolism. When you cut back drastically on the amount of food you eat, your body goes into "survival mode" and your metabolism slows. So when you stop dieting and go back to your "pre-diet" food intake, you will probably gain weight.
I don't think it takes long to increase your metabolism. However, I don't think the increase in your metabolism is permanent. You have to continue doing whatever you did to increase it!
The primary ways to increase your metabolism are to eat smaller meals more frequently, don't go too long between meals or snacks, increase lean muscle mass (strength training), and increase activity levels. I think that if you stop these behaviors your metabolism will slow down again.
Obviously, I am not an endocrinologist, so this is just my take on what is a very complex issue. But I hope it helps!
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