Boosting your metabolism

To boost your metabolism safely you will need to look at three areas:

1. Exercise

2. Lifestyle

3. Diet 

In part look I will look at the role of muscle tone in keeping lean.

Exercise is a major factor in boosting your metabolism and burning off extra calories.

Unless you naturally have an extremely fast metabolism, where you can eat thousands of calories a day without putting on weight, you are in the same group as the rest of us who need to take action to get that metabolic burning! 

Cardiovascular exercise is an important component of boosting your metabolism. Increasing your heart rate, blood circulation, body temperature, and oxygen intake/carbon dioxide exchange, will all lead your body into a catabolic state whereby it is breaking down fat and converting it into energy. 

Many women (and some men) shy away from barbells and dumbells because they think they will get bulky muscles.! There really is no need to. You will not end up looking like Herman munster in drag! It takes many years of heavy weight and vast quantities of food and "supplements" to build big muscles. For a woman and most men to do so accidentally with light weights is impossible.

So what's the deal with muscle and metabolism? 

It is because a pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat. So the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn. Even when sleeping you’ll simply burn extra calories, because muscle requires more energy to maintain. 

It will only last as long as you exercise though.When you stop working out your metabolism will return to it's previous sluggish state and the fat will return home at the slightest opportunity.

Catabolism will cause weight loss.

If your body need more energy to function each day then it will break down more cells to obtain this energy. In the process you will need more calories and lose weight.

I always include weights in a weight loss programme for my clients whether it be body weight dumbells or resistance bands this combined with cardiovascular exercise burns fat faster than anything else!

A full body workout 3 days a week moving quickly  in a circuit fashion from one exercise to another produces best results.

Do both high  (20-30) and low reps (6-10). Each set should be hard. Vary the weight according to the number of reps- heavy (6), light (20).

 In part 2 I will look at the effect of interval training on fat loss and boosting your metabolism.

Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon

Lose weight with just these small changes

I have said it thousands of times before: after reducing calories and increasing exercise avoiding sugar should be your priority in your quest for losing weight. 

Many food appear innocent enough on the surface but can make weight loss very difficult because of the added sugar in them.  Here are some of the main culprits to be avoided.

Tomato-Based Pasta Sauces

One famous make of pasta sauce has 15 grams of sugar (almost 4 teaspoons) per 1/2 cup serving—and in fact most people eat more like a cup of sauce with their pasta. Many brands lists sugar as the third ingredient after tomato purée and tomato juice. I don't suggest cutting out tomato sauce from your diet altogether as it counts as a vegetable serving and is full of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant linked to a lower risk of prostate and breast cancers. You want a sauce where any type of sugar (corn syrup, fructose, etc.) is either not listed at all or is at the end of the ingredients listed. 

Fat-Free Salad Dressings

Fat-free salad dressings are usually full of with sugar as, due to the reduction of fat, the taste is compromised and this is made up for by adding sugar and salt. Most of the  calories in fat-free salad dressings are  from sugars like honey and concentrated fruit juices. Sugar is often as high as eight grammes ( two teaspoons)  for every two tablespoons of dressing. I would suggest  avoiding fat-free dressings altogether and going with a dressing that lists canola or olive oil as the main ingredient and has either no or very little added sugar. These fat-containing dressings may have more calories but they’re worth it because canola and olive oils are heart-healthy fats that help lower LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol). Make sure you use them in moderation  moderation though! because their calories add up quickly.

Smoothies

Smoothies are often promoted as healthy options, and as a great way to add fruit  to your diet. However most manufactured smoothies have added sugars in them. One well known brand boasts 38 grams of sugar (nine teaspoons) and 230 calories in a single-serving bottle. Sugar is  the second ingredient listed after milk and fructose is added too. Make your own with a cup of skimmed milk (80 calories) or plain lowfat  yoghurt (110 calories), 1/2 cup of blueberries (45 calories) and just a teaspoon of maple syrup (16 calories). Again consume in moderation but these are much better for you than shop made ones.

Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce should also be added sparingly, always only enough enough to add  flavour. As always some are healthier than others: one well known  make of barbecue sauce has 12 grams of sugar (three teaspoons) in only two tablespoons. With high-fructose corn syrup listed as the second ingredient (after tomato puree) and molasses the third, sugars account for 80 percent of the calories in this sauce. 

Multi-Grain Cereals and Crackers

Multi-grain crackers and cereals can be good for you—full of fibre and low in fat. The original versions of shredded-wheat  have no added sugars, but this is quite rare and you should always double check any cereals ingredients. A famous brand of multi-grain cereal has six grams of sugar per  serving (1 1/2 teaspoons)—and sugar is listed as the third ingredient with another source of sugar further down the list. Stick with the plain versions of the cereal; try adding  fruit as a sweetener. Multi- and whole-grain crackers can also contain plenty of  sugar: two popular whole-grain crackers contain three sources of sugar that add up to four grams of sugar (one teaspoon) in every serving! Check the ingredients carefully and make sure sugars are way down on the list!

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