Remember how, during your teens and 20s, you could eat practically anything and not gain a pound? Now that you're hovering around middle age, you've probably found that's just not the case anymore. Part of the problem is that your metabolism decreases as a result of other age-related factors, like decrease in muscle mass. However, there's no need to give in to a bigger pant size just yet! Read on for eight ways to rev up your metabolism and keep those unwanted pounds from your waistline.
Do Intervals
Mixing in fast-paced intervals raises your metabolic rate higher than
doing a steady cardio workout, and will continue to do so up to an hour
after you’re done, says Kristin McGee, a trainer and Pilates instructor
whose client list includes Tina Fey and Bethenny Frankel. An Australian
study also found that women who did intervals while they were biking lost
three times as much fat as those who worked out at a steady pace. If you’re
a walker, simply walk at your normal pace for 1 to 2 minutes, then speed-walk
for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat the sequence 10 to 15 times.
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Opt for Caffeine
It’s time to hit Starbucks. A study published in the journal Physiology
& Behavior shows that coffee drinkers have a 16 percent higher metabolic
rate than those who abstain or drink decaf joe, because caffeine increases
your heart rate and stimulates your central nervous system. Spread out
the cups over your entire day to keep your metabolism running at a boosted
rate—just be sure to have your last cup by early afternoon so you can hit
the pillow with no problems later on.
Add Some Ice
Though the increase is modest, there is some evidence that drinking
cold water can cause a slight surge in metabolic rate. Since your body
maintains a core temperature around 98.6°F, cold water will be brought
to that temperature after being consumed and calories are burned during
the warming process. Discovery Health deduced that you can burn up to 70
extra calories a day if you follow the common rule of drinking eight 8-ounce
glasses of cold water per day. Need another reason to up your water intake?
Researchers at the University of Utah found that participants who drank
half of the recommended amount of water per day (four 8-ounce glasses),
not only showed signs of dehydration, they also experienced a 2% decrease
in calories burned per day.
Eat a Big Breakfast
It’s time to nix the oatmeal with skim milk. Instead, start your day
with a fatty breakfast, including eggs and even a piece of bacon, suggests
Molly Bray, PhD, lead author of a recent study showing that a fat-filled
morning meal will jumpstart your metabolism for the day faster than a lowfat,
low-calorie breakfast. Another study published in the American Journal
of Epidemiology found that people who eat 22 to 55 percent of their total
calories at breakfast gain 1.7 pounds over four years. That’s not bad considering
those who eat 0 to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gain nearly
3 pounds.
Drink Green Tea
Not only does green tea contain enough antioxidants to keep colds and
the flu at bay, but it also does wonders for your metabolism, according
to a study published in the journal Phytomedicine. Researchers found that
people who drank the equivalent of three to five cups daily for three months
shaved 5 percent off their body weight. Green tea contains ECGC, a plant
compound that stimulates your metabolism, says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a nutritionist
in private practice in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, and founder
of Essential Nutrition consulting.
Don't Skimp on Dairy
Calcium-rich foods and drinks, including milk, yogurt and cheese, increase
the rate at which fat turns into waste, says a study by researchers at
the University of Copenhagen published in the The Journal of Nutrition.
It doesn’t matter what form of dairy product you’re consuming as long as
the serving size is adequate (keep it lowfat!)—either a full glass of lowfat
milk or 6 ounces of yogurt is perfect. Also, the study noted that you have
to actually ingest the calcium in its natural form; supplements don’t work
due to differences in the chemical makeup.
Build More Muscle
Gaining lean muscle mass boosts your metabolism and makes losing weight
much easier, McGee says. If you add just 5 pounds of muscle to your body,
you’ll burn up to 150 more calories per day without even working out those
muscles. And, you can burn an average of 600 calories per hour during your
cardio workout thanks to that extra muscle mass. “Muscle burns more calories
than fat does, even at rest, so any strength-training activities to build
lean muscle are excellent,” McGee says. The key is to challenge all your
muscles and do a full-body strength-training workout, hitting your core,
arms, legs, back and chest.
Pick Up Heavier Weights
By using heavy weights at a very slow rate—twice as slow as would feel
natural—you break down your muscles (you’ll know the weights are heavy
enough and the workout slow enough if you start to shake after just a few
lifts or squats). Researchers at Wayne State University found that when
your body repairs those overworked muscles, it causes your metabolism to
increase for up to three days after the workout.
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