Fuel that fire...

[Stentatron]

"I have a slow metabolism"

You may have used that line yourself maybe you have heard it from a friend or someone else you know. It is one of our favourite excuses for why we have piled on those extra pounds. If this is you then you have to do something about it! Taking responsibility for your health and your weight is only down to one person. Now it isn't easy but like anything in this life achieving your goals isn't easy and shedding the excess weight is no different. Your metabolic rate determines how many calories you burn throughout the day, so the higher this rate is the greater the number of calories you will burn. Burn more calories, lose more fat.

There are several ways to increase your metabolism and I will list them below:

1. Resistance training. Now I get the impression from the posts I have read on this site that the majority of people are women generally middle aged without a gym membership. This shouldn't stop you. Investing in some light weights could be one of the best things you can do and they are not expensive alternatively join that gym and get a member of staff to design you a weight training program normally they will do this free of charge when you join. Strength training is one of the first and best things you can do to burn more calories all day long, whether in the gym or out. Once muscle is built—provided it's maintained with proper nutrition for fuel—you'll constantly have a higher total daily calorie burn.

2. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Now this might be a new concept to many of you but it is a tried and tested way of burning calories and lowering your body fat. We aren't all natural athletes so just choose an approach that suits you. Mix up your exercise by incorporating a couple of sessions of HIIT each week - this might be on a treadmill or on your exercise bike and the aim is to have intervals of intense exercise with a rest period. So for example on a treadmill jog for a minute then sprint for 30 seconds then jog for a minute etc...

3. Ensure you are getting enough protein in your diet. Our RDA is 0.8g of protein per 1kg of body weight. You might want to increase this the more you are exercising to aid in muscle repair. Good sources of protein are lean red meat, fish and chicken.

4. Kick start your metabolism with coffee or green tea. As well as waking you up in the morning, caffeine also gives your metabolism a kick start.

5. Stay hydrated, try replacing your fizzy drinks, fruit juices, dilute juices with plain old water try sparkling water if you want to mix things up. This is one of the easiest things you can do and will help maintain a higher metabolism. In addition to this staying well hydrated will fight off the hunger leaving you fuller for longer when you drink a glass of water with your meals.

6. Avoid crash diets. Now hopefully if you are on this page you are familiar with the NHS 12 week plan, this is ideal. However some of you may be trying the latest fad diet you read on the internet, be very careful. By using a smart, long-term approach to your food choices, you'll develop healthy habits you can stick with for years to come. Don't cut out a particular food group and make sure you are eating well balanced meals at every meal time.

7. Control those stress levels. Our bodies produce stress hormones like cortisol that can encourage fat storage. This is especially true if you suffer from chronic stress. By keeping your stress levels lower, you'll make it easier to get lean in the long run. Try and find a few stress-busting tactics that work for you and put those into action, whether they be mediating, reading, or just sitting down with a cup of tea. Stress can easily creep up on you, so try and be aware of your emotional state and stay tuned into how you're feeling throughout your fitness journey.

Hope this helps.

[Folliegirl]

Great post, thanks 👍

[fibronfedup]

Very interesting, thanx for sharing

[eeek1110]

Thank you. All very helpful.

[Hidden]

Great post. Thanks for sharing