Diet With Friends
You may have experienced going on a new diet together with a friend. Some weeks later, you are disappointed to learn that your friend has lost a lot more weight than you did. All other things being equal, one likely reason for the disparity is metabolism. The metabolic rate varies from one individual to another.
The Food We Eat Fuels Out Body and Gives Us Energy
What is metabolism? Metabolism is the sum total of the chemical reactions in our cells that
convert the fuel from food we eat into the energy required by the body to perform anything, be it walking or thinking or talking. Seen in this context, the better our metabolism works, the faster it can burn calories and convert them into energy. The key, therefore, is to increase your metabolic rate. How do you do this?
Minimize stress: since you can’t get rid of it entirely, learn to control it with some relaxation techniques. Stress not only thwarts your efforts to lose weight; it can inflict damage on the physical, mental and emotional aspects of your health. Your body releases certain hormones when you are experiencing stress. This causes your body to retain the fact cells, thus keeping you from shedding your excess weight.
Eat More Ofter and Smaller Portions
Eat smaller portions but at more frequent intervals. This helps you lose weight faster because when you eat only a small amount of food, your body will be working more efficiently and burning the calories better. Think of your body as a food processor. If you want to chop up something really fine, you don’t put all of it in the processor at one time. The same principle works here.
Exercise Everyday
Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. It could be just walking around the block, or a bit more intense, like jogging or cycling. If you’re on an exercise regimen, you can raise the level of intensity or add more exercise. Vary your exercise routine to keep from getting bored. You can also try resistance training. This type of exercise will help you burn more calories as you build up your muscles.
These are proven ways of helping your body burn calories faster. It’s important to monitor your calorie intake. If you want to keep eating the usual amount of food, then you have to exercise more. Of course, you will lose more weight if you eat less than what you’re used to and still do your exercise routine.
