It becomes harder and harder to boost metabolism as you grow older, especially if you're a woman. Do you remember how when you were a kid, your weight was never an issue? When we're young, everything seems to be turned up.
Then one day you wake up and your age has caught up with you. There always a constant struggle over how much effort you have to put into taking off what you put on! Its one of the many caveats of aging that really bites the big one!
The good news is that there are many things you can do to jump-start your metabolism into gear. All it takes is learning a few things about how to get your body to cooperate with you!
Its Not Your Fault
What's happening is that your metabolism is slowing down! Metabolism is defined as the way the body converts food into energy. The energy that’s burned are called calories. A slowing metabolism is a natural part of aging that begins around age 30. From that time on, your body burns about 2-4 percent less energy every 10 years. Fewer and fewer calories are burned and the excesses are stored as fat.
If you do nothing to counteract this phenomena, you’ll become heavier and heavier and less and less energetic as time goes by. Metabolic changes are a direct response to changes in body composition.
But here's the REAL kick in the pants!
Women naturally burn fewer calories than men. That’s because men have more muscle mass and women have more fat. (Gee whiz!)
So, Yes It Is Your Fault!
Most of the ‘slow down’ is your fault. Sorry, but tis true!
Sure, we naturally lose muscle mass as we age, but the major cause of it is a sedentary lifestyle. The more inactive you become, the less muscle you have. The less muscle you have, the less energy you have. Therefore you move less and become more tired. So you eat to get a surge of energy but don't move much. Your body is destined to convert the calories as fat and you just become more and more overweight.
Then one day it hits you that you're tired of being overweight so you go online and locate a help page about how to boost your metabolism... Am I right?
Easy Ways to Boost Metabolism
The best way to boost metabolism is to exercise. We’ve all heard it yet we ignore it and seek other answers.
Yada Yada Yada.....
Exercise is HANDS DOWN the easiest way to get results! Whether you exercise riding a bike, doing jumping jacks or crunches, walking on a treadmill, or lifting weights vigorously, it matters not. What does matter is that you do something.
They used to say that in order to boost metabolism that you needed at least 20 minutes of aerobic activity at least 3-5 times a week. They have lowered this number to 10 minutes for at least 3-5 days a week. THAT’S NOT MUCH! Even the laziest person is capable of exercising such a modest amount.
To kill two birds with one stone, why not consider strength training? The best part of it is that strength training actually gets better results than aerobics if you want to boost metabolism. Personally, I would much rather lift weights than run a mile!
In a study of a group of 96 people, each were given a specific ‘to do’ list. 36 did aerobics, 18 did weight lifting, and 42 did nothing. The aerobic group raised their BMR (basal metobolic rate) 13 percent more than the sedentary group and the weight lifting group raised their rate 18 percent more than the sedentary group!
Also, if you work out or exercise after you've eaten a light meal, you’ll really turbo charge your results! A nice walk after you eat is always a great way to end a meal. A brisk 3 mile walk on an empty stomach will burn about 30 calories. But a brisk 3 mile walk on a full stomach will burn approximately 345 calories!
Work your arms and legs! Exercises that use both the arms and legs together are better fat burners than those that only work one of them. When you walk for example, carry a set of 2 or 3 pound weights and lift weights while you walk. You will get twice the workout! What a great way to boost metabolism!
Did you know that laughing more assists digestion and burns more fat? In fact, the happier you are, the more inclined you'll be to laugh out loud... and burn more calories. Old movies, cartoons, or even hanging out with small children can make you bellow in joy! I recently watched the old movie "Little Shop of Horrors", which I hadn't seen in years. I wanted to see it because I love scary movies and thought it was very scary as a child. Ha! The joke was on me!
In fact, by the time the movie ended, I had laughed so hard that tears were streaming down my face. I can't imagine exactly how many calories I burned during that movie but I can tell ya, it was a bunch!
Eat a health-packed lunch everyday! To slim down, lunch is actually your most important meal of the day if you're over 20 years of age. Studies have shown that most everyone burns more calories during the middle part of the day.
Cut down on consumption more consistently! It may sound ho-hum boring but it works! If you eat smaller amounts of food more frequently, you’ll boost metabolism more! As you eat, your body releases the hormone insulin, which causes your body to store fat. The larger the meal, the more insulin your body releases which only assists in the storage of fats... in all the places you don't want it!
Smaller meals, eaten more often, helps lower and stabilize insulin levels. The less insulin you have in your blood, the more fat you burn and the less fat you store. The lesson? If you want to boost metabolism, then replace big meals with smaller with smaller, intermittent, snack-type meals. Make sense?
There are a lot more common sense ways to lose weight than you can intertwine into your daily diet. So be sure to check them out!
Include hydration. Every cell in your body needs proper hydration to function properly. When you don't drink enough water during the day, your body cannot metabolize what you eat efficiently. To get the maximum benefits of water and hype up your metabolism, you should drink water in the most productive way possible. Also, citrus-based water is a great way to 'start your engine' each day and get your metabolism rocking!
Spice up your life! In a recent study by British researchers, they found that spicy foods can boost metabolism, (the basal metabolism), an average of 25 percent. Of course if you include other hot foods such as jalapeno's, you’ll get the same effect.
Speaking of spicing up your life....
Did you know that sex is a great way to tone muscle, burn calories, and lose weight? Just sexy food for thought! Yeah baby!
Stop getting a buzz on stimulants. Caffeine, alcohol, and other stimulants should be avoided as they may raise your metabolic rate, but once they’re out of your system, your metabolic rate crashes to or below ranges.
But if you’re a coffee junkie like me, then what is the answer?
Its called ‘temperance’. If you simply can’t give up the morning coffee, then try and cut back how much you actually consume. If you’re used to drinking a whole pot of joe when you arise, try cutting back to 1/2 pot, or from 4 cups back to 3 cups, and so on. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be!
*Note - Many people have commented to me that alcohol is a depressant. While this is true, its also considered to be a stimulant in the first few hours after ingestion. As the stimulating effect wears off, it then becomes a depressant.
Have your thyroid checked. An under-active thyroid causes the body to burn energy at a slower rate then normal. An overactive thyroid will cause the body to burn energy at a faster rate than normal. More women than men have thyroid problems. If you can’t explain your weight problem rationally, then an under-productive thyroid could be the culprit.
* Poor nutrition is probably the origin of many thyroid problems and rich nutrition is vital to reversing them, or at least to prevent further decline.
Healthy thyroid function is dependent on a wide range of nutrients, especially selenium, folic acid, and iodine. Since most people cannot optimize levels of these nutrients through diet alone, supplements are suggested.
*Note - Stress in all its forms is another key culprit of thyroid dysfunction. In our lifetime, most of us experience a high degree of anxiety and nervousness. It is essential for hypothyroid treatment to identify the stress you face and learn techniques and activities that can help you reduce your levels.
With a little thought and a little more exercise, you can boost metabolism and slim down. When you become trimmer, you help curb the effects of aging! Simple as that!
