A higher Metabolism Will Help You Lose Weight
You don’t have to settle for living with a slow metabolism.
The higher you’re basal (resting) metabolism the easier it
is for you to lose weight. Wishing and hoping won’t enhance
your metabolic rate, but doing the right things will. Here
are seven effective ways to boost your metabolism and keep it
high throughout your life.
7 Ways to Keep Your Metabolism High
1.
Increase the muscle percentage in your body and decrease
body fat percentage. The higher your muscle mass, the faster
you burn calories (the fuel in food). As you increase muscle
mass, your resting metabolic rate increases. The key is to
do
two to three session of strength-training exercise per week.
Use free weights, weight machines, Pilates, or exercises
with flex bands or the fitness ball. You’ll love how your
body looks with more muscle and less body fat.
Notable Fact: Muscle is more dense and
heavier for an equivalent quantity. That's good. As you increase muscle mass percentage,
you’ll be smaller and fit into those jeans, even if you
don’t lose pounds.
2.
Avoid overeating because this stalls the efficient burning
of fuel. Eat from 0-5. Overeating forces the body to store
more fat, increasing your body fat percentage. The slows
your metabolism.
3.
Don’t severely limit your intake of proteins, fats, or
carbohydrates. Eat balanced meals to that your body has
enough nutrition to keep your metabolism high.
4.
Get plenty of sleep every night. Not getting enough sleep
slows your metabolism.
5.
Breathe deeply. Get plenty of oxygen. For fuel to burn, you
need lots of oxygen. Get this from exercise and from taking
deep breaths that you can feel all the way into your
stomach. This is called diaphragm breathing.
6.
Avoid watching TV or playing video games or computer games
for more than a couple hours at a time. When you watch
television, your body’s metabolism drops almost to sleeping
levels. When we sleep, your metabolic rate is the lowest of
the day.
7.
Drink plenty of water—at least eight glasses a day. Being
hydrated increases your metabolism.
Even a little increase in muscle mass will help. You
don't need to "look muscular."
All of the above suggestions boost your metabolism. Even
sleep!
Excerpted from
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Healthy Weight
Loss. To purchase,
click here.