Boost Your Metabolism

Sharon Jane Akinyemi

Sharon Jane Akinyemi

Sharon Jane
Sharon Jane

Metabolism is that organic process in man that is necessary for life. As important as this process is, certain factors can interfere or interrupt this process; hence, there is need to boost your metabolic rate! And this doesn’t occur by spending endless hours just hoping and feeding on low carb diets; it calls for serious work.

Here are some tips on how you  can immediately start revving up your metabolism for the long run to achieve and maintain your ideal weight for good!

Get active by adding exercise to your weekly routine. I know, there’s that dreaded word again —exercise. But people who add exercise to their weight loss plan tend to lose more weight in the same period of time as those who only diet.

With aerobic exercises you will be burning fat and calories and strength training will help build lean muscles. The more lean muscles you have the higher your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is and the more calories you will burn.

Try adding a least 30 minutes of some type of activity a day. With just 30 minutes a day at least 3 or 4 times a week, will have a positive impact on your metabolism. Not only will this rev up your metabolism naturally, you will feel more energized.

By adding spurts of high intense exercises like brisk walking, jogging and running sometimes,  your metabolism can stay revved up to five times longer than with an easier workout. This form of exercise is known as interval training which does not only keep your metabolism going, it builds endurance.

Also, you need to stress your muscles to develop them. Use your body weight, use resistance bands, use machines, use dumbbells, or any other form of resistance. The key is impose weight bearing resistance against your body!

Eat Healthily. This is one metabolism booster tip that many people don’t follow. You know the old saying,  “food is medicine”! But do you know why? Eating a good, healthy food gets your metabolism started.  But you must not skip meals except while fasting. When you skip a meal, your metabolism slows down and your body’s natural defences take over, storing fat and saving it for fuel when needed.

Breakfast is very important. So, think of breakfast as one of your metabolism boosters and eat. Remember, fat loss, good health and fantastic immune system  are what you’re looking for and you accomplish all these  when your metabolism is working. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a huge meal.  You could have quick bowl of cereal (millet pap) or oats. Just start your day right with a healthy diet and eat breakfast.

Eat raw food everyday. Each meal should include one cup of vegetables, preferable green leafy vegetables and one half cup of grains (brown rice, ofada rice etc.). This will  boost your metabolism and increase weight loss. High amounts of food enzymes found in raw foods allow your body spend more energy on metabolism and less on digestion.

Eat small meals throughout the day. We’ve all heard this before and for good reason. Keep your fire burning by adding small amounts of wood to it throughout the day – that’s the analogy. This is much more effective than stuffing your face full of food once or twice a day.

The recommendation is to eat something every 2 – 3 hours. So depending on your daily schedule, this would be 4–6 meals a day. Experts are now saying that eating smaller meals more often helps keep your metabolism going.

Protein With Every Meal

Another great metabolism booster trick is to get lots of protein. By adding protein to every meal you are improving your lean muscle mass. The more lean muscle, the higher your BMR.

Don’t worry, I’m not saying you have to bulk up and become a body builder. Just focus on eating the right foods. By adding protein to every meal, you are helping fuel your body with muscle. Protein can be found in a variety of foods from many of the food groups. Red meat of course is the first thing that comes to mind. But foods like turkey or chicken, fish, egg whites and beans are  greater source of protein.

Drink Green Tea

Green tea has been shown to boost metabolism. Researchers believe that antioxidants in green tea can cause the body to waste calories as heat, which increases your caloric burn.

Add Some Spice To Your Meals. The following herbs and spices are well-known to speed up metabolism: red fresh pepper, green bell peppers, ginger, garlic and tyme, just to mention a few.

Drink Water. Water and weight loss, these two terms are often seen together in most weight loss tips.

There is a debate among experts on whether there is any real benefits to losing weight by drinking the recommended 8 – 10 glasses of water (8 oz glass) or more depending on an individual’s weight. And most agree that people who drink this amount of water do achieve weight loss results.

For some, this could be because they have replaced their sugary drinks with water. For others, it could be as simple as feeling full from that glass of water. Even though there are few scientific studies on the benefits of drinking water for weight loss, all the successful weight loss plans do recommend drinking water.

Start your day off with a tall glass of water.  Instead of reaching for the coffee or tea cup first, get a glass of water and drink. Drink a glass of water before each meal. If you are eating 5 to 6 smaller meals a day, which is recommended for weight loss, then this means you will get 5 to 6 glasses of water easily by drinking before you eat.

Drink a glass of water before and after you exercise. Additionally, you should hydrate yourself during your exercise by taking sips here and there.  Before tucking away for the night, end your day with a glass of water. .

Generally, how you feel about your weight depends on which way your waistline is headed.

When you look into the mirror, you’re judging yourself against your past, which will predict how you feel about yourself today. This in turn will determine your Self Worth, Self Esteem and Self Confidence.

Inevitably one of two things is happening: you’re losing weight, which makes you feel awesome with an extra jump in your step. This unbelievable level of success will shine through as self confidence and an unbounded level of energy.

On the other hand, if you’re gaining weight, your energy level drops and you begin to have this gnawing feeling of low self worth. You become especially sensitive to how you look and feel in your clothes.

Although you may not want to admit it, it bothers you to think what other people might be saying about your weight.

Like most dieters we seem to need something to trigger us to get us going on the road to finally losing those excess pounds once and for all. Do we really need to hit rock bottom?

What will make you start losing that unwanted 20, 40, 60, 80 or maybe even 100 pounds?

•Not being able to take part in your favourite activity or hobby

•Not having the energy or mobility to play with your little son or daughter

•Not being able to share the quality of life you want with your partner

•Gaining perspective by seeing a loved one fall to ill health

Don’t wait for something to happen; take action now! The question is, where can go to find the right information and the resources to help you along in your journey. It can be confusing out there to say the least.

Well, let us provide you with a few tidbits of sound nutritional guidelines to point you in the right direction. This will sure boost your metabolism and increase weight loss.

Remember that sugar is your number one enemy. Increased insulin levels in the body will lead to stored body fat. These increased insulin levels will cause your blood sugar levels to drop, leading to constant hunger, cravings and fatigue.

The foods you should not eat that will cause a severe spike in your blood sugar levels are refined and processed foods such as white bread, white pasta, sweets, pastries, pop, fruit juices and the list goes on and on. A continual consumption of these types of foods is a perfect ingredient for not only gaining weight (body fat) but putting you at an increased risk of diabetes and a decrease in your metabolic rate.

Make it a conscious effort everyday to reduce the amount of processed and refined foods in your diet. By just focusing on this one change to your nutritional programme, you will achieve dramatic changes on how you look and feel.

If you are looking for a more individualized nutritional programme, we can have one designed just for you. We can show you exactly what foods you should be eating, in the proper combination, for your unique body type. This little known fact is so important and is the key to permanent weight loss and boost in your rate of metabolism.

Did you know that 70 per cent of your weight loss comes from eating the right foods for your body type in the right combination?

Let us know when you’re ready and we’ll get you going on your uniquely designed nutritional program. In the meantime keep those sugars away and slowly start to watch that waistline disappear!

For questions and answers, let’s connect @ www.facebook.com/BodyConfidenceFitnessClub

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