One day, several years ago, I woke up and got on my scale. The number that appeared before me was rather alarming. According to my doctor, I had become obese.

Years of sedentary lifestyle, working in an office then coming home and sitting in front of my TV, coupled with a serious weakness for food had left my body fat, weak, and unhealthy.

We all know that you burn fat by burning more calories than you eat. Diet and exercise is the way to do it. But when I found out I was obese, I also wanted to know every little trick that boosts your metabolism.

Not everyone has time or money for a gym membership. So here are 20 tried and true ways I boosted my metabolism without exercise.

1. Eat protein within 30 minutes of waking.

The biggest mistake people make when they're trying to drop a few pounds is to simply not eat enough. Often, we just skip breakfast and head right out the door. This is a terrible idea.

Humans evolved to store fat and water when food is scarce. If you only eat 2 meals a day, even if they're bigger meals, by skipping breakfast, you're signaling to your metabolism that calories are scarce and it must conserve.

By eating protein within 30 minutes of waking, you're indicating to your body that it doesn't need to store fat, that it can burn calories faster. Your body is like an engine. Keep it stoked.