Trying to Boost Your Metabolism? An Expert Says These Are the 4 Things That Actually Work

Unlike protein and fat, "the amount of energy that it requires for the body to process sugar, is relatively small compared with fat and/or protein," Dr. Arad said. Take a 100-calorie banana, for example. "Almost all of those 100 calories will end up in your system and be presented to your cell, and the cell can either burn it or store it," he explained. For people who aren't very active, those calories will end up getting stored as fat.

In order to learn more about your metabolism, Dr. Arad recommends getting a resting metabolic test (typically around $250, but rates will vary), which is offered at places like the Mount Sinai Physiolab and Fitnescity.