As a Food Network addict, I mindlessly watch professional—not to mention sleek and slender—chefs such as Giada De Laurentiis, Sandra Lee, and Bobby Flay, cook up hearty and delicious meals. I exercise, eat healthy, and attempt to monitor my dessert intake; yet I still cannot fathom eating the meals created by aforementioned stars, additionally those such as Ina Garten and Paula Deen, a dynamic duo of butter consumption. Through plenty of hard work and equal amounts of failure—eating meals made by these chefs and trying remain my goal weight— it has become blatantly obvious that there is more that exercise and slim pickings; how do Giada, Bobby, and Sandra cook and eat as such but look so thin? Then it came to me: metabolism.
So here I am, exercising at least 3 times a week, eating salads at every meal—minus breakfast, let’s be real here—and avoiding dishes that resemble those made by Food Network’s finest. Yet, the sluggish winter months roll on and it feels as if the pounds are just lingering, and not so nicely. Thanks to my dear friend, Google, and my mother’s assistance, I have accumulated several ways to increase your metabolic rate as this cold months plow on and the urge to exercise drastically decreases.
- Build Muscle The last thing you probably want to hear is a gym-related piece of advice, but the truth is that muscle burns more calories than fat tissue does. Having more muscle mass means your body is using more calories while stagnant, and thus, your metabolism goes up, up, up! So, alternate that heart pumping, energy draining, sweat provoking work out, with some basic lifting a couple of days of week. If you’re not much of a weight user, don’t worry; any form of resistance training will build muscle.
- Keep Burning Another way to drop those calories is to continue burning them even after you step off the elliptical. To do this, try integrating high intensity intervals into your workout. A great way to do this is by alternating three minutes of modern intensity exercise—running, biking—with 30 seconds of extreme effort. Sometimes it is difficult to push yourself in those seconds of pain, sweat, and practical torture, but picture yourself in some sort of euphoric, life-changing moment: pedal so fast you pass the person biking next to you or run through that imaginary finish line…you’ll be cheering in success and your body will show it too!
- Catch Some Zzzzs Skipping out on quality sleep can alter your metabolism…for the worse! It is shown that when you’re sleep-deprived, your metabolism slows down, and I know that is the last thing I need at this moment. So, put your work aside earlier—don’t worry; it’ll get done—and skip out on your late night TV fix; you’ll feel utterly rejuvenated in the morning and rev up your metabolism.
- Drink Up Avoid the common summer dehydration that occurs also in the winter by keeping up with your fluid intake. Dehydration has proven to slow down metabolism. So, steer clear of this easy fix by drinking up to eight classes of water a day.
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Eat Often…and WellHear is the news every foodie and everyone wants to hear: eating frequently increase your metabolism. Would you believe it? Every time you eat, you stimulate your metabolism for a short period of time, so the more you eat, the more you will increase your metabolism. So, fill up that plate and chow on!
But not too much! Eating frequently does not mean snacking frequently, but rather, enjoying small meals throughout the day. Make sure to pack your plate with a serving of vegetables and a source of protein such as eggs, chicken or nuts. Increasing your fiber intake is one of the best—and easiest ways—to increase your metabolism! So, go for that extra veggie over a piece of bread; it’ll pay off in the future.
Also, try to eat fish and spicy foods, which both increase your metabolism. Omega 3 fatty acids are vital for normal metabolism and are found in sardines, tuna, trout, and salmon. As for spicy foods, studies have shown that they can cause a short-term increase in your metabolism and may work as an appetite suppressant.
- Start the Day Right Too many college students—and people in general—do not eat the most important meal of the day: breakfast. State your morning with a good carbohydrate and a protein because a healthy morning meal will not only keep you full but also boost your metabolism.
- Sip Some JoeAs a college student I drink way too much coffee, but now I can excuse my daily four to eight cup intake by tossing it up to metabolism intake. It has been found that drinking caffeine leads to short-term increase in metabolism. But be careful: drink in moderation.
- Keep Calm and Cary On As always, avoid crash diets and any diet that restricts your calories to less than 1,000 a day; you will lose muscle mass (contradicting tip number one) and slow down your metabolism. Do not think short-term starvation; think long-term success, positive thoughts, and plow on!
- Say No to SittingDo not sit when you can stand, stand when you can walk, and walk when you can run. Just kidding about the last one, I hate running. But do steer clear of the perfectly plush couch and its counter parts. Regular periods of movement jolt a slow metabolism into gear.
Do not fall into a metabolism decreasing rut as it feels like the sun hides behind the never-ending-winter clouds. Think to spring and summer for motivation and follow these simple and efficient steps! Good luck!
Sources:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/137368583_Boost_your_metabolism_in_the_sluggish_winter_months_.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/increase-your-metabolism-start-losing-fat