| The rest of us would give up our morning doughnuts to increase
the speed of our metabolism. Having a high metabolic rate enables
one to burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of
activity. Do we really want a body that stays almost skinny and
consumes energy and calories? I can remember when nothing I could
do would increase my weight. I ate 6 meals a day and nibbled
on snacks in between. Milk shakes weren't good enough,
obviously. So I'd throw in an egg too. What a hassle it
was trying to gain weight. Finally I gave up trying and just
ate what I wanted to. 10-15 years later I was shocked by a
sudden burst of weight gain. By the time it leveled off I
weighed 224 pounds.
I tried everything to lose weight. 180 was good enough for
me. Instead of losing anything, I gained. By the time
the dust settled I weighed 240. It was a handsome 240, but I
didn't like it. Nothing brought my weight down so again I said
Phooie on Hughie and just started eating what I wanted to and as
much as I wanted to. Now I'm back down to 231. Most of
that is iron muscle and at the age of 68 maybe I'm well off.
Anyway, maybe we shouldn't be envying anyone. But, I know.
You still want to speed up your metabolism, just a little bit.
Well, there are several factors that affect your metabolism, such as
the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one
consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity
levels. Metabolism slows down due to the following: loss of muscle
because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to
cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy
to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes
naturally with old age.
Here are several ways to fire up your metabolism:
1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is
only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is
possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has
is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and
shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential.
Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week,
preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts.
Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place
of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match
the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are
some guidelines in getting the right exercise:
For strength training
-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Add the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible
For cardiovascular training
-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Add up on resistance and speed
2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring
the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones
who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is
taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.
3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is
recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even
level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive exercise 2-3 times a
week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar. The taste
for sugar is just a habit; Koreans don't like sweets hardly at all.
Once you get used to oatmeal and Farina without sugar you will like
it better than ever. When I get desperate for sugar I will
roll peanut butter up in raw oatmeal and nibble on that. My
Farina comes from raw wheat that I run through a coffee grinder.
I can roll peanut butter up in that too.
4. Eat spicy foods. Hot
cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism. It also makes
your eyes tear up and your nose drip. These are both good,
cleansing episodes. An extra dose of just plain old black
pepper can loosen up the sinuses, and this increases the ease with
which you breathe in more oxygen -- giving your system a cleaner
burning engine. You can buy cayenne capsules either from
health food stores or at your local pharmacy. I started out
taking 3 with every meal. Boy, when these things cut
loose in the belly there was a forest fire raging. Have some
buttermilk or yogurt handy to put out the fire if you try this out.
5. Sleep more. Your muscles
are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber very
night.
6. Increase water intake. Water flushes
out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority
of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the
body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces
unneeded stress as a result.
7. Eat smaller meals. Dieticians agree it is advisable to consume 4
to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.
8. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose
weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down the metabolism
instead of increasing it.
9. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to
be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake
of eating meals in sporadic patterns.
9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or
emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which
decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when
stressed.
10. Some gurus say to Guzzle up on green tea. They sink so low as to
suggest it can be used as a substitute for coffee. They say tea has
the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no
undesirable side effects when too much is consumed. I think
they must own stock in the company or something. As far as I'm
concerned, a good cup of Roma is better than either one. I own
stock in the company and it continues to rise in value every year.
Therefore it must be good, right?
11. Include more energy foods in the diet,
such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Achieving the desired body weight is never
impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to
stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in
weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working
out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.
|
