Slow Metabolism Got You Down? Ten Simple Ways to Get a Supercharge!



Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2009

by
Visionquest Nutrition

Have you ever felt like you could just look at food and gain weight? Do you remember when you could eat anything and not gain a pound? Don't feel bad, there are some simple things you can do to get your body to burn calories quickly. Obviously, there are many factors that affect our weight. However, you have more power than you might think when it comes to supercharging your metabolism. A few simple changes in your daily habits can give you the edge to get the body you want and the energy to take you through the day. Take a look at these ten simple steps to get you on the right track.

Eating too much of the wrong things is what gets most of us in trouble with our weight. So, how do we lose the weight without starving ourselves on small portions of meat and "rabbit food"? I have some great news. Seven of our ways to boost your metabolism involve eating. First, make sure you eat within 45 minutes of waking up. Your mom was right when she told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you don't eat, you can expect your body to conserve calories for the rest of the day, instead of burning them away. Next, add eating every 4-6 hours to your list. Just make sure that you are choosing foods with protein in every meal. This includes foods such as egg whites, cheese, soy milk, lean meat, turkey, chicken, fish, pork, kidney beans and peas. Protein helps build muscle which burns calories much more efficiently throughout your life. You will also want to add 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables to your daily meal plan. This amounts to a lot of food which is high in fiber to help you feel full. Many fruits and vegetables are negative calorie foods, (foods that take more calories to digest than they possess). Some examples include apples, asparagus, berries, broccoli, cabbage, celery, cauliflower, chili, garlic, grapefruit, lemon, mango, onion, orange, papaya, pineapple, spinach, and zucchini. Surly you can find something you love to eat with all these wonderful foods.

Water is another important factor to losing weight. An easy way to determine how much water you need each day is to weigh yourself and cut that number in half. You should drink that many ounces of water each day. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink approximately 100 ounces of water. Sound crazy to you? The first few days may be difficult. It's OK not to drink all your water right away, but try to drink a little more each day and soon you won't even think about it. The final step involving food is the only one that involves cutting back. Avoid alcohol, sugar, and fasting when choosing your foods. As you can see, there are many choices you can make that are healthy and tasty.

It is also important to be active. Start with 30-45 minutes of cardio in the morning. This will get your metabolism rolling, and once you get used to moving you are going to feel great and more energized for the rest of the day. You will also want to build muscle tone through resistance training. It will take about 3 months to see results, but remember that your muscles will help to burn calories more efficiently. If all this sounds like hard work to you, the last way to boost your metabolism will make you very happy. Make sure that you get 8 hours of deep sleep every night. Studies show that people who get 8 hours of sleep have a higher metabolic rate than those who sleep less than 6 hours.

A healthy diet with a variety of foods that taste great, mixed with exercise that fits into your lifestyle can make all the difference. There are many ways to eat what you want and get all the nutrition that your body needs. Exercise doesn't have to be hard, but once you start moving, you'll feel better and better. Take time to learn more about the exciting ways that you can rev up your metabolism.

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Jim is a personal wellness coach who helps people reach their weight loss goals and lead more healthy and active lives. He has a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Northern Colorado and has worked in the field of health for over ten years. To learn more about getting healthier and more active visit Jim's website at:

http://www.visionquestnutrition.com

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