We all know of people who stay slim despite eating anything they want. It is because they have a fast metabolism (the body’s engine) which means they burn more fuel (calories) not only when they are exercising but when they are sitting on the couch watching television or sleeping. Most of us would like to increase metabolism like these people so we can eat more food without gaining excess weight.
But even if you feel you have not been blessed by the fast metabolism gods; don’t worry as there is plenty you can do to boost and increase metabolism for faster fat burning.
Strength training exercise will increase metabolism
This is the only type of exercise that can increase metabolism any significant amount. In fact, it can do this up to 15 percent which will increase your daily calorie burn by a hundred or so more calories. This may not sound much but over the course of weeks and months this can be the difference between remaining over-fat and overweight or being able to slowly but surely reclaim your slim trim body.
Your muscle tissue is highly active tissue and when strong and toned it generates more heat from metabolic activity which automatically will increase metabolism. When there is increased heat there is increased fat burning. So, think of your muscles as your very best friends as they have the power and capability to increase metabolism and get and keep you slim like nothing else can.
Even a small boost in overall muscle tone can increase metabolism and just 2-3 strength training sessions each week are needed to give you a more efficient metabolic motor. Think of those muscles as little fat burning factories that work away for you burning up your excess body fat and all you have to do is to keep them toned with regular strength training exercise to increase metabolism.
Things that won’t increase metabolism
Eating the wrong types of foods and too much of them, any sort of low calorie dieting or not eating enough protein will do nothing to increase metabolism and in fact will decrease it. On the exercise front not doing any muscle building or maintaining activity or only doing long duration, low intensity activity will not help you increase metabolism.
When most people become overweight the first thing they do is go on a diet of some kind but the body senses this lack of food and switches on its protective mechanism called the ‘starvation mode’ which slows the metabolism and increases your appetite. This is a left over from the blueprint we have had since our ancient ancestors when low calories meant scarcity of food.
Our bodies are still hardwired to go into an energy saving mode when this happens to make what little food there is go a long way. And that is not the worst of it. If it goes on for too long your body also begins consuming its own muscle tissue for energy, which in turn lowers your metabolic rate even more dramatically and hinders your ability to increase metabolism.
This combination of factors means that you not only need less food to maintain your body-weight, but you will also put on excess body fat much more easily in the future so, we need to increase metabolism to prevent this happening. At the same time, being in this awful ‘dieted’ state makes you tired physically and mentally, decreasing your motivation to be active which means you expend even less energy and gain weight even more easily.
To get off the slow metabolism merry-go-round
To increase metabolism you need the effect of metabolism boosting exercise (strength training) combined with metabolism stimulating foods (natural whole foods) and both of these things continued over a period of time.
It is not a quick weight loss fix but then there is no such thing anyway. Just plodding away each day planning and preparing your meals and exercise timetable to fit in to your busy life is what will increase metabolism and get you there in the long run.
Think about getting healthier rather than simply losing weight. It is the health improvement that will increase metabolism and you now know how to do this with. Doing the necessary strategies to increase metabolism are things that are intentional as it will not happen on its own. A strength training exercise program combined with your healthy eating plan are what you need to do to increase metabolism but they are not that difficult and soon become part of who you are and a way of life.
Once you reach this point they no longer seem like a chore and you will really enjoy them and look forward to doing them as you know the alternatives are not what will give you that slim healthy body that you want so much and you wil get there much faster when you increase metabolism.
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