How to fool your Metabolism

How do I raise my Metabolism?

Do you find it difficult to lose weight ? Or have you lost weight for a short time, but then you pile the pounds back on again ?
As you get older weight loss is even harder to achieve - so we need to increase our metabolic rate. Metabolism is the process by which our body distributes nutrients from the food that we consume. Basal Metabolism, which provides the energy required to maintain our vital functions, requires around 65% of our total calorie intake. 25% of our calorie intake is used for physical exertions and 10% for the processing of food.
Each individual person has a different metabolic rate and this is affected by age, general health and our level of physical activity. We all know people who seem to eat what they want without putting on a pound - they have a high metabolic rate.
The basic formula for losing weight is to increase the number of calories we expend and to reduce the number of calories we take in. Eating 3 small meals a day while doing at least 20 minutes of exercise should be your main aim. Skipping meals will lower your metabolic rate and this is not to be recommended. Your diet should contain high quality protein, fresh fruit and vegetables and high-fibre grains. For exercise, it is better to do resistance training along with your aerobic activities as muscles burn more calories than fat. Bear in mind that any exercise which increases the heart rate wil boost your metabolism for several hours after you have finished the activity
What things must you avoid when trying to lose weight ? A lack of sleep will lower you metabolic rate and can only give a bad outcome. Diet pills are for short-term weight loss and are to be avoided in any long-term plan. Many people trying to lose weight will just concentrate on exercising the fat zone. DON'T, Always look for an all over workout for the best results. Finally, some diets restrict calories a little too much. This will lower the rate of metabolism and will affect the balance of your body. Also make sure you have a good level of hydration by taking in a reasonable amount of water. Dehydration leads to a lower metabolic rate.
A good way to build up your metabolism is to lift weights at least twice a week. When you feel ready, increase the number of repetitions and eventually add to the level od resistance (lift bigger weights). Bodyweight exercises such as squats and push-ups are also to be recommended. As for Cardiovascular exercise, interval training is preferable to the steady state method. For example, when I am on my exercise bike I like to pedal hard for 15 seconds and then rest for 45 seconds. Try repeating this pattern for at least 5 minutes and then increase as you feel fitter.
As you get older it is very important to take good care of your body. The best way to do this is to eat a healthy diet and take regular exercise. If you can follow this advice then you should be able to raise your metabolism and lose weight quickly and safely.

Martin Bardwell is an expert on dieting, exercise and weight loss. Check out www.mbardwell-eliteweightloss.blogspot.com