How Your Body Works
When you don't eat enough calories to sustain your body's daily functions (Basal Metabolic Rate), your body panics, thinking that there isn't any food available. It reacts by slowing down your metabolism and absorbing more of the foods you eat instead of using that food for energy. When you eat regularly, your metabolism speeds up and uses those calories instead of saving them for later.
How to Rev Up Your Metabolism
- Eat breakfast. When you wake up in the morning, you haven't eaten in a long time. Skipping this meal means your metabolism slows down...not a great way to start off your day!
- Eat according to your activities. If you do most of your physical activity during the day, make breakfast and lunch your larger meals so you have enough energy to get everything done.
- Snack frequently (aka, eat when you're hungry!). Eating fruits and veggies between meals will keep you from becoming too hungry. The hungrier you are, the less control you have over what and how much you eat.
- Exercise aerobically. Even if your mind resists, your body loves physical activity. Plus, cardio exercise speeds up your metabolism for several hours after your workout.
- Lift weights. Muscle burns up to five times more calories than fat.
- Keep a food diary. This will help you stay honest about what you're really eating!
- Drink water. Your metabolism needs it to function properly and being hydrated will keep you energized.
- Plan on losing 1-2 pounds a week. Global Health & Fitness reminds us that "...you can't undo a lifetime of inactivity and poor nutrition overnight. If you lose weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per week you will be more likely to keep it off permanently." (Tom Venuto, "Habits Not Diets").
The truth is, there's no short cut to weight loss. It takes effort and discipline and, of course, patience. However, it doesn't have to be a miserable experience and you don't have to starve yourself to do it. Eat up!
