Boosting your metabolism is the way to reach your weight loss goals.

Boost Metabolism To Lose Weight

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or preparing for the inevitable metabolic slowing that comes with age, there are some ways to boost your metabolism (the rate at which we burn calories) to keep your energy pulsating and your body in shape. To boost your metabolism you need :

Exercise - weight training
- If you work your major muscle groups twice a week, you can expect to replace 5 to 10 years' worth of muscle loss in just a few months. Lifting weights can literally reverse the aging process, so you look and feel years younger.
- Lifting weights increases your calorie-burn in other ways too. In one study, 15 sedentary people in their 60s and 70s who strength trained 3 days a week for 6 months increased their daily calorie-burn by more than 230 calories. Almost one-third of the increase was from a boost in their metabolism due to the muscle they gained.
  The remaining calories were burned as a result of their workouts, their increased daily activity, and something called "afterburn," which is an added attraction of strength training exercise. Depending on how hard you work out your metabolism can stay elevated for up to 48 hours after you've finished lifting.
Exercise - aerobic activity
- The biggest caloric burn comes from cardio-vascular (aerobic) exercise. That means running, hiking, walking, cycling, taking aerobics classes, dancing, kickboxing, or using cardio machines at a gym - anything that gets your heart rate up.
- Ideally, you should do this four to five times per week for 30 to 40 minutes each time. "The whole idea here is just getting out there and burning as many calories as you can.
- You should be exercising at a level where you can talk, but you can't sing; in short, until you have reached your exercise intensity level.
Eating
Recent studies show that eating smaller meals every three to four hours aids metabolism and weight loss. Trying to lose weight by severely restricting daily caloric intake actually slows metabolism. "Every cell of the body is like a flashlight bulb. When our bodies don’t get enough food, or fuel, every cell burns less brightly."
A predominantly low glycemic index diet is recommended, meaning foods that, unlike simple carbohydrates, are broken down gradually to help maintain an even blood-sugar level.

Don’t Skip Breakfast
It’s a fact that people who eat a healthy breakfast are skinnier than people who don’t. And try to think outside the box. A breakfast bowl of vegetables and brown rice is a great way to kick-start your metabolism for the day.
Include hot foods
If Mexican and Thai are favorites, you’re in luck. Spicy foods that have hot peppers in them appear to boost metabolism.
Drink green tea
Go for green tea which is known to stimulate metabolism longer and more effectively than coffee. A really strong cup of coffee gives a nicotine boost which also has undesirable side effects.
Drink plenty of water
Staying well hydrated is essential to flushing the body of toxic by-products that are released when fat is burned. Cold water may also give your metabolism at least a small boost because energy is required to heat the body.
Avoid Stress
Stress can actually cause weight gain, particularly around the tummy. Why? Because physical and emotional stress activates the release of cortisol, a steroid that slows metabolism.

Sleep

Research shows that people who don’t sleep for seven to eight hours a night are more prone to weight gain. Additionally, we now know that lean muscle is regenerated in the final couple of hours of sleep each night.

08/14/04