Some people just always seem to have a lot of energy. They are usually the same people who can eat anything they want and never seem to gain any weight. These fortunate few have been blessed with a naturally high metabolism.
The rest of us have to find a way to increase our metabolism in order to lose weight fast and safe. A naturally high metabolic rate is the best way to lose weight fast with the least amount of activity.
Metabolism is defined as the rate at which the body produces and consumes energy and calories. In other words how quickly does the body process food, turn it into energy and then burn off that energy.
Genetics definitely play a big part of metabolism. This is why there are those people who never seem to have to worry about their weight despite bad eating and lifestyle habits. However, there are other things that impact metabolism such as stress, diet and activity levels.
Metabolism slows done due to poor diet and the lack of physical activity. Poor diet contributes to lower metabolism because the body will actually cannibalize its own tissue if there is not enough food energy to sustain it. This is why weight loss isn't just about losing fat. You also tend to lose muscle and more muscle than you should.
Fortunately, there are ways to improve your natural metabolism. The first is to build lean muscle through exercise. The more muscle you have increases the body's ability to burn calories and get rid of fat.
It is important to match the calories you take in with your level of activity. So yes, you can eat a lot and still lose weight but then you also need to be very active. If you can't find a way to be very active then you have to decrease the calories you take in.
Diet and Metabolism There are a number of dietary things you can do to impact metabolism. Remember the old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In many ways it is. You have the rest of the day to burn the calories you consume at breakfast. So make certain you have a good, healthy breakfast. Your metabolism will slow down if you wait until the afternoon to eat.
Unfortunately, sugar stores fat so try to avoid sugar. One of the best ways to stabilize blood sugar is to exercise. So make certain you plan to exercise 3 times a week.
If you are a spice lover you are in luck. Spicy foods like peppers can actually increase your metabolism.
After eating spicy foods you may feel the need to drink a lot of water which is a good thing. When the body does not have enough water it slows down the body's system operations. So drink plenty of water. Water also helps flush out toxins when the body burns fat.
Another adage about eating your fruits and vegetables is also good advice. Things like fresh fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains are good energy foods.
Finally, make sure you never skip meals. While it seems like a thing to do to lose weight it's not a good idea. Skipping a meal actually causes your metabolism to slow down. So yes, you've decreased calories by skipping a meal but you also slowed down your body's metabolism.
It's actually better to have 4-6 small meals a day than to skip a mea. Just make certain that are smaller meals! Try and time them 2-3 hours apart depending on how many meals you go with.
Exercise and Metabolism Regular exercise is a key to controlling your metabolism. The more muscle you have the more your body naturally will burn calories and get rid of fat. Build strength and muscle by working out at least three times a week, preferably with weights. If you're not a weights kind of person, you can find simple ways to exercise. For some people things like walking the dog and using the stairs instead of the elevator can be your first exercise efforts. This will help you burn calories if you haven't already been doing these activities.
Remember the key as we talked about earlier is to match the exercise level with the calorie intake.
You can lose weight fast and safe if you understand the role your metabolism plays in that process. If you want to learn more about this go to http://www.how-to-lose-weight-fast-and-safe.blogspot.com
About the Author
Dave Meyer has been coaching and training athletes in a variety of sports for over 10 years. His work with athletes from various sports gives him a unique perspective on the role of diet and exercise on performance. To learn more about losing weight go to www.how-to-lose-weight-fast-and-safe.blogspot.com
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