14 Aug Weight Loss is a Metabolic Thing
five ways to increase your slow metabolism
If you bump up your metabolism, you can burn more calories. So how do you do it? Here are some important tips for revving up your metabolism.
1. Build more muscle
No doubt about it, muscle burns fat. In order to get those fuel-burning muscles, you can’t just sit on the couch. Get out there and strength train! We recommend a total body workout with weights three times per week at 30 to 45 minutes per session.
Adding muscle will increase your metabolism, which is measured by your resting metabolic rate (RMR). In addition to building muscle, strength training actually increases your metabolism for 24 hours after your strength-training session.
2. Be more active
Don’t stop at strength training. You’ll need a cardio workout of 30 to 40 minutes at your target heart rate four to five days per week. Trainers suggest that the time be closer to 40 minutes. Check with a trainer so you know what target heart rate to shoot for.
But it’s not just cardio at the gym. Increase your activity. Any physical activity will make a difference and pep up your metabolism. For example:
Take the stairs
Park your car in a remote area of the parking lot
Walk around your office building during breaks
If possible, cycle or walk to work occasionally
Play catch or fly a kite
Take dance lessons
3. Don’t fast or skip meals
Make sure to jumpstart your metabolism in the morning by eating breakfast. Eat small meals throughout the day. You have to eat in order to lose weight. Four to six meals is a good way to keep your metabolism humming, as long as you maintain a calorie deficit.
Starving yourself throws the body into survival mode. This encourages the storage of energy in the form of fat – and you lose muscle mass, too. Not good.
While you can initially lose a few pounds by skipping meals, in the long term it’s bad for your metabolism: When you stop dieting, your body loses its calorie-burning ability.
4. Drink more water
H2O can also help your metabolism. Researchers in Germany report that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories. The impact is modest, but researchers say their study could have important implications for weight-control programs. Shoot for 96 ounces per day. Try to drink a little water every 15 to 20 minutes. What I suggest is adding the juice of half a lemon to 32 ounces of water with a sprinkle of Steviva Brands Stevia Powder. Aside from being less than 2 carbs, you will get the health benefits that the stevia provides along with the vitamin C and electrolytes that lemon have. You can substitute limes for lemons if you get bored.
5. Get a good night’s sleep
Skimping on sleep can upset your metabolism. In a study at the University of Chicago, people who got four hours of sleep or less a night had difficulty processing carbohydrates. When the body is exhausted, it lacks the energy to do normal day-to-day functions, which include burning calories.
So… get moving and get skinny.
Have an excellent day.
Thom
