(c) 2011 Body Talk eZine - sponsored by The 7-Day Weight Loss Makeover
A lot of people ask me how to increase their metabolism - especially during the holidays. Savvy health enthusiasts know, having a high level of metabolism enables one to burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. With this in mind, we could all do well to learn the equation to increased metabolism, especially at this time of the year.
Metabolism, in its basic terms, is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories. There are several factors that affect a person's metabolism, such as the amount of muscle tissue you have, the frequency of the meals you consume, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels.
It's is important to note, metabolism slows down due to loss of muscle when the body experiences a lack of physical activity, as well as the natural decrease in speed of the metabolic process due to the aging process - ugh!
Fight back - I say! Here are several ways to fire up your metabolism and keep your home fires burining during the holidays - and all year long, too:
1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It's only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential.
Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity in hopes of creating a caloric deficit. When this happens, you will lose weight.
Here are some guidelines for a good workout routine to increase your metabolism with exercise:
Strength training:
-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise
-Increase the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible
For cardiovascular training:
-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Increase resistance and speed
2. Eat breakfast! Believe it or not, a lot of people ignore the benefits of breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat. Stimulating your metabolism for the day could be as easy as breaking the fast.
3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive execerise 2-3 times a week should be utilized in effort to stabilize blood sugar.
4. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.
5. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Most bodily functions involve water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produce unneeded stress as a result.
6. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart. Eating this way keeps the blood sugar at an even level and will help to give you sustained energy throughout the day.
7. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake. This will slows down metabolism, preparing the body for famine. The body will counteract by storing fat instead. Not good.
8. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.
9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.
10. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. The green tea benefits are plenty: it has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.
11. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains. Think plant based eating for energy aiming to keep your daily animal proteins under 50 grams.
Achieving and sustaining a desired body weight is never impossible if you are determined and patient. Keep tabs on stabilizing your metabolism level during the holidays and all year long. It will make your fitness and weight loss efforts much easier - you may even surprise yourself and not gain any weight at all during this time of the year. As always remember: eating properly and exercising often are not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.
Enjoy a happy healthy holiday season -- thank you again for your continued readership,
*Laura*
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