 |
Take Control of Your Metabolism:Quick Tips for Increased Muscle Tone, Faster Fat Burning, and Energy
So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism is and why they need to start taking the latest diet supplement scam yet they don't even understand how the human metabolism works. So before I even go into how to speed yours up, I want to first go over some of the basics. What is metabolism? Although there are many scientific ways for me explain it, and I could make it seem really confusing like most of the so-called experts do, but I won't. I'm going to give you my extremely simple and easy to understand definition... metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain life I should also note that your body, yes yours, burns calories 24 hours a day, everyday - regardless of whether or not you workout. Remember that your body needs energy all the time, even while you're asleep and that is why skipping meals is the absolute worst thing you can do if your goal is to lose weight (body fat). Before we go any further let's talk about what affects metabolism... What affects metabolism? What do you think has the biggest impact on your metabolism? Activity levels? Your Thyroid? Age? WRONG! WRONG! and WRONG! Activity levels, Thyroid function, and age do affect metabolism but not nearly as much as... Any idea? It's muscle tissue! The more muscle you have the more calories you burn regardless of how active you are, how old you are, etc. It's live tissue and it's there working for you and burning calories 24 hours a day - each and every day! Here's a list of some of the factors affecting metabolism in order of greatest impact to least:
Why does it slow down? How many times have you heard someone say, "as soon as you hit 30 your metabolism slows down"? Maybe you've said it. I know I hear it all the time and I got tired of hearing it so I did a little research and found that the metabolism does NOT slow down significantly due to aging but DOES due to a lack of muscle. And, you don't lose muscle quickly due to aging either but due to a decrease or lack of physical stress. So, the major cause of a slowing metabolism is three fold... So now that we know the problem... what's the solution? Address those 3 issues! I've found through years of experience helping hundreds of people, that increasing your metabolism and getting rid of that excess body fat can often times be quite easy! Yet you'll hear of all these experts telling you how hard it is and why you need to buy their new diet program, supplement, or fitness contraption. It's not that hard, it doesn't have to be confusing, and you don't need any of that crap! All you need is an understanding of how your body works and the willingness to make some small changes. Here's my basic formula for jump starting your metabolism: Step 1 - Stop the storage of new fat It doesn't make any sense to start an exercise program if you just end up adding new fat later that day. This is a problem that is very common among people who start an exercise in an attempt to lose weight. See the problem is this... We don't get fat due to a lack of exercise - we get fat because we supply the body with more calories than it needs at a given time. So the solution has nothing to do with exercise - it's all about your eating! And I'm not saying you have to eat low-fat, super clean and healthy diet consisting of salad and tofu only. You can still eat the foods you like IF you can give the body just the amount it needs. The key is to give the body the energy it needs, but just that amount and not a bunch extra because extra is extra is extra, it doesn't matter what it's from. Salad can be stored as fat, celery can be stored as fat - if it results in extra it can be stored as fat. I should also note that not all extra energy is stored in the fat cells and I will touch on that later. So forget about trying to burn off any fat unless you can first stop storing new fat! Again, you do that by matching your eating to your activity level. This means small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-3 hours and the amount of calories in each feeding should depend on how active you are at that time of day. Step 2 - Attack the existing fat This requires a combination approach consisting of stable blood sugar/energy levels, and progressive cardiovascular/aerobic exercise and strength training. We already talked about how important stable blood sugar and energy levels are and how to match your eating to your activity level so now I'd like to cover the exercise part of the equation. In order for the exercise to even be worth your time you must be sure it's progressive. Just because you run on the treadmill for 30 minutes three times a week, that doesn't mean your body has to burn off that unwanted body fat! You have to force the body to make changes and improvements and the ONLY way to do that is to consistently provide a stimulus or stress that is greater than what the body is used to. Here are some general guidelines on how you can make your exercise progressive and productive: Strength training
Cardiovascular training
For more specific techniques please check out the all the great articles on metabolism and fitness in the free resources section of my website here: http://www.achieve-fitness.com/free_resources.htm I should also say that it is extremely important that you have a well thought out and detailed plan to follow. You can't just say "ok, now I know what to do" and then try a little of this here and little of that there. You need a roadmap. If you are serious about achieving your weight loss and fitness goals I highly recommend you get the help of a professional. Whether that means one on one, personal fitness training or just a do-it-yourself fitness plan - your chances of success are much greater. In closing, please remember, it doesn't have to be confusing. Hopefully this information has shown you how easy it can be if you know what you are doing. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how you can guarantee your fitness success, please visit my website http://www.achieve-fitness.com or you can give me a call at 240-731-3724. While your'e at my website be sure to sign up for my free email newsletter, Fitness Success News - it's full of great articles, tips, healthy recipes, contests, and more! About The Author Jesse Cannone is a certified personal fitness trainer, post-rehab specialist, nutritionist, and a national fitness presenter. He is also the author of Burn Fat FAST and A Bride's Guide To Fast Fitness + Weight Loss in addition to many other popular fitness articles. He is known for his hard-hitting and to the point style and offers a great free email newsletter called Fitness Success News, which you can subscribe to at his website.
MORE RESOURCES: |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Avoid Post Workout Binges And Lose Those Last 10 Pounds In 3 Easy Steps I was so embarrassed for her. After a grueling 45 minutes on the Stairmaster, Kathy rewarded herself with a bag of Ruffles and a Diet Coke. First Component of Weight Loss Any true body transformation starts with self-discovery. It is an inside-out approach method. Youll Need Total Will Power To Undergo Weight Loss How much will power does it take in order to go through the torment of weight loss? Though the answer to weight loss varies from each individual, all it takes is the correct attitude, admitting to yourself that you do have the desire of letting lose the unwanted pounds.For years, people all over may have experienced the defeat from their own lack of self-will, thinking that weight loss is not worth the pain. Lose Weight With Soy! The humble soybean boasts some extraordinary benefits. This nutritional powerhouse has stayed under wraps for too long. 3 Simple Changes In How You Eat That Will Make Dramatic Results In Your Ability To Burn Fat: 1. Increase your water intake to at least 1 gallon of Plain, fresh water per day. Are You a Binge Eater? Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge eating?In a recent issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, I read a feature article about the treatment of bulimia and binge eating.Bulimia is defined as 2 or more episodes of binge eating (consuming a large amount of food in 2 hours or less) at least twice a week for 3 months. Top 10 Points of Encouragement for Weight Loss On the road to weight loss, fitness, and health, you can easily become discouraged. In fact, discouragement is what leads many people to give-up when they may have been near a point of significant progress and encouragement in their program. Weight Loss Problems at Their Worst -America is on the Path of Delusion, Depression, and Destruction Am I missing something here? If I am, someone please email me and tell me. But, the shape of you and every person in America tells me I am not missing the boat at all. High Carbs/Low Fat Diets and Cardio Vascular Disease For the past 20 years, the American public has been bombarded with the message: "Fat is bad!" As a result, our food supply is now inundated with "low fat" foods, engineered foods and foods processed to remove natural fats. In every instance, low fat foods are loaded with carbohydrates. Say No To Obesity Obesity still remains one of the commonest avoidable causes of several disease conditions. Most often than not, it is a result of the wrong habits or lifestyles. Healthy Hydration Water is an essential component of the human body and is critical to successful weight loss and exercising. Yet many people don't understand the importance of staying well-hydrated and what it takes to stay that way. The Solution to Healthy Weight Loss The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem.There are no official statistics for spending on dietproducts, but estimates vary from $40 to $100 billion in theUS alone, much of that on scams and fad diets that promisethe impossible. Lose Weight And Get Healthy; Can Laughter Be A Cure For Obesity? Once there were these two Nuns and they.. What are Fats? Fat is fuel. That is basically what it is. Gastric Bypass Surgery - Is It Right For You? When we hear all the success stories of the gastric bypass, it sounds so easy. One pricey operation and the pounds just fly off! Right? Not quite. Dieting Obstacle When Life Gets in the Way Dieting Dilemma No 1: When Life Gets in the WayThat pesky thing called life has a way of fouling up our the best laid plans. First you decide you're going to start keeping your car cleaner, thinking, "I'll wash it every Saturday morning. Hunger Free Eating - How To Eat Less And Not Feel Hungry There are many diets, all of which boil down to taking in fewer calories especially of the foods, which tend to lay down fat in the body.The reason most people become over weight is that they are eating foods that are high in calories and low in bulk and, that they eat too quickly. How To Avoid Gaining the Holiday 7 As the holidays approach, a frequent question from my clients and subscribers is "How can I avoid gaining weight during the holidays"? Their concern is legitimate. The average American adult gains seven pounds of fat between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. The True Weight Loss Approach - Five Step Common Sense Plan! Some of you will not like what I have to say, even though it is the truth. And that may be where the problem of American's health problems lies. How To Lose More Weight And Reach Your Goal With A Weight Loss Journal The diary is an essential help in reaching your weight loss goal. Writing down your goals and progress will motivate your in a way nothing else can, thus helping you reach your target weight much more easily.
|
