Weight Loss Information

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:

  • muscle tissue (you already know why this is on the top of the list)

  • meal frequency (the longer you go between meals the more your metabolism slows down to conserve energy)

  • activity level (important but doesn't make any difference if you don't match your eating to your expenditure)

  • food choices (ex. low-fat diets tend to result in poor hormone production which leads to a slower metabolism)

  • hydration (over 70% of bodily functions take place in water - not enough water causes all your systems to slow down and unnecessary stress)

  • genetics (some people have higher metabolisms than others - you can't change genetics but you can still win the battle!)

  • hormone production and function (think you have a slow thyroid? it's not likely - before you go blame it on the thyroid first stabilize your blood sugar and throw in some progressive exercise 2-3 times each week)

  • stress (stress also can slow metabolism by placing extra stress and strain on numerous systems. plus, many people tend to overeat when "stressed out")

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...

  • you lose muscle due to the lack of physical stress

  • your body cannibalizes muscle when it needs energy but you won't supply any because you are "dieting" and skipping meals

  • your activity levels tend to decrease as you get older

    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

    • Change exercises frequently (every 2-4 weeks)

    • Increase resistance

    • Perform more reps

    • Slower reps

    • Advanced techniques

    Cardiovascular training

    • Increase speed/resistance

    • Perform intervals

    • Increase distance traveled

    • Cross train by performing numerous activities

    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.

    jesse@achieve-fitness.com


    MORE RESOURCES:

    Canada.com

    Weight loss a phone call away, study finds
    Reuters - 5 hours ago
    "We actually found significant weight loss with phone counseling which hasn't been seen in other research," said Marieke Van Wier, a researcher at VU ...
    Weight Loss Interventions by Phone or E-Mail Seen Effective MedPage Today
    all 8 news articles


    SmartAboutHealth

    Orexigen drug shows 9.3 pct weight loss, shrs fall
    Reuters - Jan 8, 2009
    The US Food and Drug Administration has said obesity drugs need to demonstrate weight loss at least 5 percentage points above that seen with a dummy pill. ...
    Orexigen Falls After Weight-Loss Pill Fails to Meet FDA Goal Bloomberg
    Orexigen Says Weight Loss Drug Contrave Meets Goals in Trial eFluxMedia
    Orexigen claims weight-loss pill is effective The Money Times
    San Diego Union Tribune - TheStreet.com
    all 99 news articles


    eFluxMedia

    US expanding list of illegal weight-loss drugs
    Dallas Morning News, TX - Jan 8, 2009
    More than 70 weight loss pills sold in the US as dietary supplements contain drugs that aren't disclosed on the labels and can harm consumers, ...
    FDA Expands Warning on Weight Loss Pills Natural Products Marketplace
    Weight loss pill warning WSLS.com
    FDA sends out more diet pill alerts; criminal charges possible USA Today
    Newsinferno.com - WSET
    all 22 news articles


    Reality TV Magazine

    National weight loss challenge to help local food bank
    Muncie Star Press, IN - 17 hours ago
    Viewers that night learned about the show's collaboration with General Mills and national food banks to sponsor a weight loss and fundraising effort to ...
    Weight loss program benefits Winchester News Gazette
    Be Valley’s biggest loser Youngstown Vindicator
    SOUTHEAST MISSOURI FOOD BANK, FEEDING AMERICA, GENERAL MILLS AND ... Southeast Missourian
    Trading Markets (press release) - Muncie Star Press
    all 16 news articles


    Steve Jobs' weight loss may be linked to his earlier cancer ...
    San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Jan 5, 2009
    But they said pancreatic surgery patients sometimes do suffer such weight loss and have been been successfully treated with oral supplements. ...
    Video: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance AssociatedPress
    Apple's Steve Jobs blames 'hormone imbalance' for weight loss Computerworld
    Jobs: Hormone imbalance causing weight loss CNNMoney.com
    Bloomberg - Taipei Times
    all 2,779 news articles


    Better Business Bureau warns about fraudulent weight-loss endorsements
    Anderson Independent Mail, SC - 21 hours ago
    The Better Business Bureau is warning customers of online ads relying on celebrity endorsements to sell acai berry-related weight loss products. ...
    Call 4 Action: Marketing Of 'Weight Loss' Berry Drawing Fire MSNBC
    BBB warning consumers of weight-loss scams Columbus Dispatch
    BBB warns of acai berry weight-loss scam WalletPop
    Fort Worth Star Telegram - Natural Products Industry Insider
    all 86 news articles


    New weight-loss program at Dogma Athletica in Edwards
    Vail Daily News, CO - 7 hours ago
    The comprehensive program focuses on nutrition, lifestyle and health and addresses weight loss, blood sugar balance and its relationship to mood and hormone ...


    New Weight Loss Scam Operating In The Area
    Indiana's NewsCenter, IN - 2 hours ago
    The weight loss-product maker claims it has the endorsement of OPRAH Winfrey, and charges customers each month despite the offer of a "free trial".


    Weight Loss Secrets
    News Channel 7, SC - 8 hours ago
    Now, local experts offer some weight loss secrets that will help you melt the pounds away. When you are trying to lose weight, experts like Cindy Thomas say ...


    Weight-Loss Organization Reaches Out to Members of LA Weight Loss
    Cherry Creek News, CO - Jan 8, 2009
    MILWAUKEE, WI – With the balance of LA Weight Loss centers closing across the country, TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nation’s oldest ...
    TOPS members recognized for weight loss at fall rally Delta County Independent
    TOPS will have an open house Port Clinton News Herald
    all 3 news articles

    Weight-Loss - Google News

  • home | site map
    © 2006