1. Start Building Muscle

Our bodies burn calories even when we're sitting around and doing nothing at all. People who have more muscle burn more calories because their resting metabolic rate is higher. Start stepping up your exercise routine and pump some more iron at the gym.

2. Drink More Water

Get ready to quench your thirst with the natural stuff. Water helps you process your calories after a meal. When you're dehydrated, your metabolism starts slow down. Before you begin eating your next meal or snack, drink up and have a glass beforehand. To make sure you're drinking at least 8 cups of water a day, consider taking a water bottle with you to work.

3. Make It Spicy

Your love of spicy foods could come in handy. If you're looking for more ways to step up your metabolism, start adding green or red chili peppers to your meal. A tablespoon will do just fine. Place it in your bowl of chili or a nice dish of pasta.

4. Black Coffee

The vast majority of people need a cup of coffee to jump-start their morning; however, coffee doesn't only help you kick things into high gear for morning meetings and late night outings; it can also help you increase your metabolism. Just don't ruin a healthy cup of coffee with cream and sugar!

5. Pump It Up With Protein

When you're trying to burn fat naturally, you want to look at what you're consuming. Our body burns more calories when we digest protein than it does when we eat carbs and fat. Instead of loading up on carbohydrates, switch out these foods for proteins. Try eating more fish, chicken, eggs, beef and turkey. Just don't go crazy and abandon a balanced diet for fast, but unsustainable weight loss results!

6. Go for Green Tea

When you're tired and feeling overwhelmed, go for the green tea to soothe you and help burn fat naturally. According to a study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who had green tea extract three times during their day lowered their risk of heart disease and experienced an increase in their metabolic rate by around 4 percent.

7. Skip the Alcohol

Most people find no harm in hitting the bar after a day at work or a night out with their friends. However, those who want to speed up their metabolism naturally may want to rethink those extra alcoholic drinks. Missy from Wonky Pie says, "Depressing the nervous system is how alcohol slows your metabolism down and keeps the weight from coming off."

8. Less Stress w/ Yoga & Meditation

You may want to say no to stress if you want to ward off the weight for good. Stress could have a part in adding to your abdominal fat, according to some studies. Find a way to stave off the stress. Take breaks in between your work and go for a walk during your lunch break, and learn to be mindful every day.

Missy from Pretty Sweet says, "Starting a meditation or yoga routine can be intimidating. Try meditating for 10 minutes every night or sign up for a weekly beginner or "gentle" yoga class. There a couple of great free apps like Headspace to get you started with meditation.

9. Eat (Healthy) Dairy

Some exercisers are worried about their dairy intake. However, some studies found out that women who are eating more low-fat dairy products like low-fat cheese and yogurt a few times a day lose around 70 percent more fat than those who avoid more dairy.