| Boost Your Metabolism
Lots of people want to boost their
metabolism so they can burn fat more effectively.
The main reason people are overweight is
because their basal metabolic rate (BMR) is lower than it should be.
BMR is the rate at which your body burns calories to perform its normal
functions of digestion, circulation, breathing, etc. This means that they
burn fewer calories 24 hours a day. Obviously, over a period of months,
this adds up to stored fat.
Your body needs a minimum of 1500 to 2000
calories a day to perform its normal functions. When it does not get its
daily requirement it slows down the metabolic rate. The protective
function of the human body is to survive. So when the body 'senses'
that it is not getting enough calories, it will start slowing down all its
functions so that it does not burn up as many calories... this means that
the rate of digestion, circulation, breathing slows down. This
includes brain and central nervous system functions. By doing this
the body is instinctively 'saving' calories. By drastically reducing
your caloric intake you are working against the natural rhythm of your
body. This is also the reason you will see that you gain all + more
of the lost weight as soon as you get off your diet. The body starts
'storing' calories for a future 'self-induced famine'. This is also
known as the 'yo-yo syndrome'... losing and gaining the same weight
over and over again.
Dieters often complain of lack of energy,
fatigue, exhaustion, headaches and difficulty concentrating, depression,
irritability, etc. This is a direct result of the body not getting
enough fuel (food) to function optimally.
The larger the size of a person, the more
calories he/she will need to maintain the body's daily functions. If
you weigh 300 lbs your body will need more calories than a 200 lb
person. Men generally need more calories than women.
So, what is the best way to lose
weight?
Use common sense, be realistic. Eat regularly, nothing harms a body
more than skipping meals. Eat well-balanced meals. There is no
such thing as 'bad' food... every food group is used by your body for
necessary functions. What fats do for your body, proteins
cannot.
Do NOT, do not, do not deprive yourself of your favorite foods.
Deprivation will only set you up for failing. You WILL end up
over-eating to curb your craving and chances are you will still eat the
food you were craving initially. By depriving yourself you have now
ended up consuming more calories than if you allowed yourself to have a
reasonable portion of your favorite food to begin with.
The best option: eat healthy, include exercise and be active... burn more
calories instead of cutting back to the point of starvation. Slow
and steady weight loss lasts. To
lose 1 lb of weight you need to burn 3500 calories.
Here are some tips to boost your
metabolism. Start slowly and
build up.
- Do some type of aerobic exercise
(walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, aerobics, etc.) on a
DAILY basis for 30 to 60 minutes, preferably in the morning.
Forget this twice-a-week stuff.
Your body was designed to be active on a daily basis!
When you are active your metabolism will soar!
- Do an additional 15 to 30 minutes of
aerobic exercise in the evening, five days per week.
- Incorporate "intervals" into
most of your aerobic sessions. Intervals are a powerful tool to help
boost your metabolism. Intervals means adding a brief stint of 1
minute aerobic activity every 10 minutes into your regular exercise
routine.
- Tone your muscles with weight training
six days per week. Toned muscles supercharge your metabolism! This
should be done just after an aerobic exercise session. You should
exercise each body part three times per week. For example, work on the
lower body on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the upper body on
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This can be accomplished at a gym or
at home with a few sets of dumbbells.
- Do not skip meals. Always eat
breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body
that you are "starving" because you haven't had food in 18+
hours (dinner the night before to lunch the following day). As a
protective mechanism, your metabolism slows down.
- Look for ways to be active. Park as far
from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking
spot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, etc. Look for the
"hard" way to do things!
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