Eating and Training to Boost Metabolism
Many of you have been talking about your struggles with eating properly, and it sounds like most of your problems are not what you eat, but when you eat. Let’s take a look.
What do pigs and sumo wrestlers have in common? They both use the same weight gain techniques! A farmer fattens up the hogs by letting them run around the pen most of the day, and then having them “pig out” on a huge trough full of slop. Likewise, sumo wrestlers train all day, and then sit down for a huge buffet right before going to sleep. Often with our busy lives, we do the same type of thing — we go and go all day without eating, and then when we finally sit down, we gorge ourselves and overeat!
Ironically, many weight loss problems come from not eating or restricting too many calories. You see, what happens is when you go without eating, your body goes into a protective “starvation mode” for conservation, and your metabolism begins to slow and shut down, thus storing reserves (body fat!). Then, when you finally eat (and most likely overeat), it is with a metabolism that is already turned off.
An analogy to help you understand your metabolism is that of a campfire. Initially, you have to constantly supply small sticks to build the fire and keep it burning. But any good boy scout knows if you let the fire burn low, and then try to throw on the Yule log, you may be left with unburned wood! So keep the fires blazing by continually adding small sticks.
The key to weight loss is an increased metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories). Here is how that’s done:
• Lift weights and build your muscles. This is the only way to boost your resting metabolic rate, which accounts for 60–70 percent of the calories you burn daily.
• Do cardio or aerobic exercise. These raise your heart rate and sustain aerobic activity to temporarily burn calories. Come on, you got to sweat!
• Eat more frequent and smaller meals. Consume four to six smaller meals (healthy ones, of course!) daily and try not to go more than four hours between meals. Sometimes you may need to eat something even though you don’t feel hungry, and that will help you to eat sensibly at your next meal. When you do this, just make sure what you’re eating is a good source of protein.
• Remember that metabolism is highest in the morning. So don’t skip breakfast!
• The liver and kidneys play a part in your metabolism. So drink lots of pure water.
One of the best advantages of an increased metabolic rate is that you can afford to eat some of your favorite less healthy foods every now and then, and they won’t show up on your hips or gut. So, get your metabolism up and kicking by implementing these points into your daily routine. It is very important to establish habits, so start now and do whatever it takes. Work hard, eat right, pack snacks and drink water.
It takes dedication and implementation to reach your goals that you have set this year. Also by taking advantage of the support system you have here at Body Dynamix you WILL succeed! Just believe in yourself and stay strong!
Visit Leslie Hofheins at inspire-nutrition.com.