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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 calories from food into energy to help your body function efficiently. If you have a high metabolism, you'll burn fat and lose weight with less difficulty than someone with a slow metabolism, even if you both eat the same amount and are equally active.

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. Working out is one of the best ways to speed up your metabolism. When you increase your muscle mass, you'll burn more calories even when you're just sitting around. Lift weights a couple times a week, and aim for 30 minutes of cardio each day. Take a walk, step on the treadmill or head to the fitness club. You can even get fit with small spurts of action, like foregoing the elevator for the stairs, parking on the outer limits of the parking lot, or taking on some vigorous housecleaning.

2. Eat small meals. If you eat four to six small meals a day instead of three big ones, your metabolism will stay in the high range and you won't have a chance to pack away extra calories in the form of fat.

3. Don't miss a meal. If you assume that skipping meals leads to weight loss, you're wrong. If you don't give your body nourishment when it needs it, your metabolism thinks that you're starving and slows down to conserve energy. Following tip number 2 and don't go too long without eating.

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

5. Add some spice to your life. Spicy foods like cayenne and curry have been shown to increase metabolism.

6. Cut out refined sugar. Too much sugar in the bloodstream causes your body to convert food to fat at a faster rate.

7. Increase your water intake. When you burn fat, you release stored toxins. Water helps you flush those toxins out and can also help you lose weight.

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 more sleep. Studies have shown an association between a lack of sleep and increased weight.

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.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Kim Archer writes about women's wellness. She is publisher of The Internet Spa, where you'll find up-to-date information to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

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