10 Easy Ways to Fire Up Your Metabolism

By Kim Archer

Have you been trying to lose weight, and suddenly find yourself stuck on a dieting plateau? If the scale isn't budging despite your best efforts, a sluggish metabolism may be the cause.

Metabolism is a complex process that converts the calories in the foods you eat into energy to ensure the proper functioning of your body. If you have a high metabolism, you'll burn fat and lose weight more easily than someone with a low metabolism, even at the same level of energy intake and expenditure.

Generally speaking, if you're stuck with a low metabolism, you'll never be able to eat as much as your skinny friend with a high metabolism without gaining weight. That being said, there are things you can do to speed up your metabolic rate and get you over the hump towards continued weight loss.

Here are 10 ways you can rev up your metabolism:

1. Exercise. This is the single most effective way to raise your metabolism. The more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you'll burn during everyday activities. Work out with weights at least twice a week, and fit in 30 minutes daily of cardiovascular exercise. Go for a brisk walk, run on the treadmill or cross train at the gym. Fit fitness into your day by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking your car further from the building, or doing some energetic housecleaning.

2. Have mini meals. Eating four to six small meals throughout the day rather than three big ones will keep your metabolism revved up constantly.

3. Don't skip meals. If you think skipping meals means you'll lose weight, you're wrong. If you don't feed your body when it expects to be fed, your metabolism grinds to a halt, thinking that you're in starvation mode. See tip number 2.

4. Eat more whole, unprocessed foods like vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. These foods help to keep your metabolism on an even keel.

5. Spice it up. Spicy foods such as hot peppers have been shown to boost your metabolism.

6. Cut back on sugar. High blood sugar levels cause you to store more food as fat.

7. Drink more water. When your body burns fat, it produces toxins. If you don't take in enough fluids to flush them out, your metabolism slows down.

8. Drink green tea. Studies have shown that green tea can speed up your metabolism. It also has numerous other health benefits that make it a worthwhile addition to your diet.

9. Get some sleep. Studies have shown a correlation between not getting enough sleep and weight gain.

10. Lose your stress. Emotional and physical stress can prompt the release of cortisol, a steroid hormone that lowers your metabolism. Plus, you're likely to eat more when you're stressed out.

So don't be discouraged and give up if the scale isn't budging. Try these tips to give your metabolism an edge, and you should be burning calories again in no time. Remember, healthy eating and fitness are a way of life, not just a quick fix to drop some pounds.

Kim Archer is publisher of women's wellness site The Internet Spa at http://www.internet-spa.com,where you'll find the information you need to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

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