A key to weight loss and sustained fat burning is keeping a high metabolism.
However much exercise your fat-burning strategy requires, keeping your metabolism high can supplement success. The metabolism is your rate of fat-burning while resting. This does not only mean while you sleep but at any point when you are not active.
Finding the best way to boost your metabolism is not very difficult. Many of the strategies are common sense ideas that can be implemented quickly and easily. However, we will start with one of the more difficult tasks if you want to up your metabolism.
More Protein, Less Carbohydrates
Your body breaks down protein over a longer period of time than it does carbohydrates. Because of this, keeping your protein intake up and your carbohydrate intake down actually helps you to motivate the metabolism to work.
When your body has a large task ahead of it, it becomes motivated and stays active until the job is done. If you feed it too much busy work (carbohydrates), it may become bored and lazy.
In reality, your system simply likes to turn carbohydrates into fat while it takes time to utilize the many amino acids and nutrients within protein.
You Must Exercise
It always comes down to simple basics. You eat less sugar and you up your workout regimen. You do not have to demand the world of your body. There is no need to go out and run a marathon tomorrow.
Working out sensibly, though, slaps the metabolism awake and lets it know that it needs to stay in gear. Do not become lulled into thinking that by simply lowering your caloric intake you’ve succeeded. You have to do something with any amount of carbs you put into your body. A good workout is the very best way to burn them off so they will not turn to fat later.
Heavy on the Cardio
When you exercise, remember that cardio is crucial to increase the metabolism.
Think of a bodybuilder compared to a long distance runner. While you may not covet either of the body types specifically, you can see that the marathon runner is much thinner while still retaining definition in his or her muscles.
This is because the marathon runner does not focus on turning all his protein into muscle but instead burns off much of the calories that are taken in. Anyone who engages in high-level cardio has a higher metabolism than he would have without this as the body simply needs to use up the calories to sustain a healthy core.
Increase All Workout Variables
No matter if it is adding an extra five minutes on the stationary bike or fitting in an extra session earlier in your day, increasing your workouts is a great way to up your metabolism. Two workouts in a day can really keep your metabolism on its toes and prevent it from dipping too far in between workouts.
Upping the overall workout duration can also demand more of the metabolism and whip it briskly into shape. If your workout starts to become too easy and you find yourself coasting, just change it up.
If you are not feeling the burn in a workout, your metabolism is probably taking it easy as well. Giving your whole body a new obstacle to tackle can provoke your metabolism to rise to the extra effort needed.
More Overall Activity
No matter how you tackle your workouts, remember that it is important to stay active overall. This means not sleeping in too long and not sitting around watching TV all day.
Sleeping for too long puts the metabolism practically on hold, while TV does almost the same thing while you are awake.
Both “activities” cause the body to go into a sort of hibernation mode that will not allow calories to be burned efficiently or successfully.
You must find ways to remain active throughout the day. Remember that staying active does not mean adding a completely new workout to your day (though if you have the time, why not?)
Instead, it can be as simple as walking to the store or market instead of driving. It can mean riding your bike after your lunch or even taking your bike to work. Staying active can even extend to cleaning up the house or apartment.
As long as you are moving and staying off the couch or bed, your metabolism will burn more calories.
Make the Commitment
Some factors critical for success can seem tough at times.
Often, people feel disgruntled or overwhelmed by how much they must focus on succeeding. That is why it’s so important to make the commitment to yourself that you will succeed and do so within the timeframe of set deadlines.
Never allow yourself to give up on your commitments once you make them. When you allow yourself to fully commit, you find yourself being your number one cheerleader and personal power coach as you achieve each day.
Develop Yourself
Just as it is difficult to actually commit, it is also difficult to develop your personality into the type that does not go back on its promises. Development is just that, and it takes time to emerge from who you previously were.
Development often comes from setting small goals and achieving them. This, in turn, builds up your can-do attitude and promotes more success.
Be a winner. You owe it to yourself.