Focus on increasing your muscle mass. I'm sure you've heard it before but I'll repeat it here: muscle takes up less space than fat. Even if you did not lose a single pound but exchanged fat for muscle you would become significantly slimmer. Another benefit to having more muscle is that it increases your body's energy needs. Generally speaking you burn approximately 50 added calories for each extra pound of muscle you carry and that's just for plain ole body maintenance. Your body's muscles will do the burning for you.
Why You Should Boost Your Metabolism
It's a good idea to increase your muscle mass and metabolism not just because it will help you lose weight but just as importantly it will help you stave off metabolism decline that occurs as you get older. A lower metabolism means you burn less calories. As you age and continue to eat the same quantity of food, you gain weight. A person's metabolism begins declining in the mid-20s at a rate of five to ten percent per decade. That loss can really add up over a lifetime, making it enormously difficult to prevent weight gain. You can stave off metabolism loss by increasing your muscle mass.
Another way to increase your metabolism is to eat foods that require extra energy to digest (i.e. metabolize) Think low fat protein. Did you know that your body burns twice as many calories digesting a high-protein food like a 100 calorie portion of shrimp or chicken as it does a 100 calorie candy bar?
Water Water Everywhere
Here's another truism you've heard that must become a habit: start drinking water, lots of water. Not only does it fill you up, but it flushes your system. Don't ask me how or why but you can diet till the end of time and exercise like an Olympic athlete but if you don't drink the water the weight "sticks". It's like trying to coax a toddler that doesn't want to do it your way.
If you don't believe me, try this experiment. One day, follow your new eating plan without drinking a lot of water. Weigh yourself the next morning. Then that day eat again accordingly but this time drink 8-10 glasses of water (more is better) and weigh yourself again the next day. I'll bet you see a difference. This is the only way to control the wily toddler inside.
Some Like It Hot and Why You Should Too
Finally there are a few minor things you can do to increase your metabolism. For example, do you like spicy food? If so, use that to your advantage. Small studies have shown that when people eat spicy peppers, the chemical in the peppers that gives them their heat boosts metabolism. It's not a huge amount and certainly not enough to burn off a box of donuts but it does help a bit.
Eat Well, Eat Often
Another way to keep your metabolism at its peak it is to eat often. Instead of eating three large meals per day, break it down into six mini meals throughout the course of the day. Each time you eat you temporarily spike your metabolism. By eating every three hours you will raise your metabolism twice as much as eating every six hours. This doesn't mean you should eat sugary granola bars and other simple carbohydrate snacks, but rather your regular meal food spread out throughout the day.
Stay Focused on the Goal
Keep the following in mind:
- Losing weight and keeping it off is doable but it takes effort. Everyday effort. You can do it.
- Set your mind on your goal and take it one meal, one exercise session at a time.
- Remind yourself that each day you are a few ounces less than the day before.
- Whatever you do, don't make yourself crazy by weighing every day. Limit your bonding time with your scale to once a week or every 10 days.
- Eventually those ounces will add up to pounds and inches. Not overnight but then you didn't gain the weight overnight.
- Eventually you will wake up one morning, look in the mirror and realize you did it! Then keep up your good habits and you will maintain for life.
Good luck!
