Although one may try many differnet diets and weight loss programs the one underlining thing for weight loss is to increase your metabolism. Increasing your metabolism will not only assist in your weight loss but will also give you more energy. If you are attempting to lose weight the two most important things you can do is to start eating right and definitely start an exercise routine. Your ultimate goal is to jump start your metabolism which will enable your body to burn more fat and in turn create more energy since the burning of calories creates energy.
Regardless of the amount of weight you'd like to lose the thing you need to focus on is increasing your metabolism. The reason for this is that when your metabolism is increased it will begin to stabilize at a higher level enabling you to burn more fat for energy at all times.
Now if you feel you need to lose a lot of weight I'd suggest that you first start increasing your metabolism by taking short brisk walks everyday. If you haven't exercised in a while you want to start out slow so that you don't cause injury or burn yourself out early in your quest. So start out with short walks, approximately 10 to 15 minutes per day. This will help to get the heart pumping and increase your blood circulation. This will also start increasing your oxygen intake which will increase the amount of oxygen to your entire body including your joints and ligaments. The addition oxygen helps to burn fat and increase your metabolism. Of course this is just a start and you will see some improvements, but as you get used to the increased exercise you will then want to start increasing the time and speed of your walks.
Once you start feeling your energy level and your strength increase you can then start adding some type of aerobic exercise program. Aerobic exercise will help with increasing your metabolism and help your heart muscles. Be aware that the aerobic heart rate is much higher that the ideal heart rate for burning fat, which is a bit lower in beat per minute. But you will still get the benefits of burning fat while pushing your metabolic rate much higher. Of course if you have less weight to lose your metabolism is probably a little higher already but you can still increase it, with more exercise of course. I'd suggest doing some type of cardio or aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes every other day. I would also recommend eating 5 to 6 smaller meals throughout the day. This will give your body the continuous fuel to increase your metabolism.
The next level you want to approach is the level of strength and muscle building. This type of exercise will definitely increase your metabolism and will assist both men and women to build muscle which will allow the ability to burn fat at all times, even when you are at rest. Good or good! For all you woman don't worry you do not need to get bulky, the weight lifting will provide toning and firming of your muscles and will help with your structure and the strength of your bones. For you men, lifting weights will start to give you more mass or just a more toned and cut look which will help you feel better about your body and yourself.
Many people do turn to supplements to increase their metabolism. This might be helpful but be careful. Make sure that you speak with your doctor whenever you start a new exercise program or if you start taking a metabolism increasing supplement. Be sure that there will not be any repercussions to your health or any conflicts with any prescription you may be taking. Also do some research on the ingredients and make sure they are good quality. There may be many supplements that work but pay attention to what your body is telling you and if the side effects create any discomfort discontinue the use of them.
The thing to focus on is that increasing your metabolism will assist you to burn fat and give you more energy. The addition of more muscle on your body will always make you look and feel better but no matter what route you take to boost your metabolism, make your health your number one priority.
By Douglas Alp
