Five ways to speed you metabolism up and lose weight fast

By

Lt. Col. Bob Weinstein, USAR-Ret Fitness Boot Camp Instructor, Personal Trainer and Author

My grandmother, who passed away at the age of 102, came to visit me at the when she was just 90. I clearly remember walking with her into a building with several flights of stairs. As we approached the stairs, she glanced towards me with a smile and said, "I'll race you!" and she took off! Now, I don’t expect everyone to be as agile as her at the 90 if we make it to that age. Without realising it, my grandmother was boosting her metabolism and getting some cardio exercise

Here are five ways to speed up your metabolism:

1. Do not cut too many calories

If you decrease your calorie intake too much, for example less than 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, your body will react by slowing down your metabolism. Your metabolism may slow by as much as 45%. Furthermore, you will lose lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass is important as a calorie burner. You still need a decent amount of calories if you want to speed your metabolism up and burn fat.

2. Eat Regularly and Drink Water

Eating frequently can keep your metabolism going at a good rate. You should aim to consume around four to five smaller meals a day. The traditional approach of three large meals spread out during the day means that your metabolism will spend a lot of the day at a lower rate, and then increase when you have a meal – a roller coaster effect. A steady metabolic rate is far better for burning fat and losing weight.  That does not mean you have to prepare a meal that often. A snack of fruit or yogurt counts as one of those meals. Infrequent meals can cause your metabolism to slow and this can cause you to overeat or eat unhealthily because you have starved your body. Stay hydrated and make water your beverage of choice. Drink lots of water.

3. Have Breakfast

About 50% of those who are overweight do not eat breakfast. Your best bet is to eat a carbohydrate high in fibre, such as oatmeal. You may want to add some raisins, fresh or frozen fruit and ground flax seed and you've got a great combination of protein, carbohydrates and good fats. It also tastes great!

4. Strength Training

Strength training will increase your metabolism because muscle, particularly muscles that are exercised, burn more calories. Include muscle endurance training as well. Muscle endurance is the ability of a muscle to work continuously under fatigue. That is a healthy muscle.

5. Interval Training

Interval training is any type of exercise that causes your heart rate to increase for a short while, followed by a period of rest. This is done multiple times increase your heart rate and then bring it back down. Some people think that interval training is only for athletes. That's simply not true. Regardless of your fitness level you can conduct a form of interval training when walking or jogging. Pay attention to your body so that you don't overdo it and consult your doctor before engaging in such activities. For example, whilst out walking, pick an object, such as a bench or a lamppost about 100 yards or so from your current position and then pick up the pace to the point that you feel like you have increased your exertion and you find yourself slightly out of breath. Once you reach your goal, decrease your pace and slow your breathing for two to five minutes. Then do it again. Do this 3 to 8 times depending on your fitness level and you will burn more calories and increase your cardiovascular conditioning.



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