magazine
You're eating healthier than ever, but your muscles
feel flabby, your energy is sapped and your jeans feel increasingly
snug, particularly in the belly, hips and rear.
The sad truth: Metabolic rate (the number of calories we burn in a
day) plummets as we age, decreasing about 1 percent each year after
we hit 30. But research shows there are things you can do to help
combat metabolic slowdown.
"When our metabolisms slow down isn't just
age-related," explains Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., registered
dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
"Body composition, which is determined by genetics,
diet and activity, also plays a major role."
Read on for five ways to keep your fat-burning furnace humming.
Related:
The Ultimate Bikini Body Workout
1. Build muscle. Since fat is burned in your
muscle, you want to activate as many muscle fibers as possible.
Weight training increases lean muscle mass, which raises the amount
of calories your body uses, even when you're at rest.
What's more, since there's less fat in your body (and your
muscles), blood moves better so you have more energy -- without
eating more food. So if you haven't been incorporating strength
training into your fitness routine, now is the time to start!
2. Start eating! "Your body is a 'refuel
as it goes machine,' which simply means it needs to be
consistently fed to provide energy to live," explains Mark
MacDonald, author of the bestselling book Body
Confidence. "This type of consistent feeding stabilizes
your blood sugar levels and creates internal hormonal balance"
-- and that keeps you from packing on the pounds. His advice: Eat
within an hour of waking to kick-start your metabolism. Then keep
eating every three to four hours ending an hour before bedtime.
3. Nosh on protein at every meal and snack.
Protein has a greater metabolic boost than fat or carbohydrates.
Biting, chewing, swallowing and digesting food takes energy --
it's known as the thermic effect of food and it can burn up to
30 percent of the calories on your plate. The more complex the food
(think steak, legumes and fibrous vegetables), the more calories
you burn as it travels through the digestive tract. Protein also
contains leucine, an amino acid that prevents muscle loss when
you're dieting. A simple strategy: For a quick and easy snack,
keep peanuts in your pocketbook, trail mix in your desk drawer and
hard-boiled eggs in the fridge.
See Also:
12 Ways to Think Yourself Slim
4. Get moving. Interval training with bursts of
high intensity cardio will stoke your metabolic rate and keep it
humming for hours. So instead of logging in your regular half-hour
on the treadmill at a steady 4.5 mph pace, try the interval option
or hit the road and take advantage of changes in the terrain. Run
in the sand or up hills and use landmarks to signify a change of
pace. And squeeze in extra calorie burning whenever you get the
chance, advises Gerbstadt.
5. Drink water. Studies show that people who drink
8-ounce glasses of water eight to 12 times a day have higher
metabolic rates than those who drink four. Want to lose an extra
6.6 pounds a year? Drink half a liter of water before breakfast.
According to researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.,
people who downed water before their first meal of the day consumed
an average of 75 fewer calories at breakfast than those who
didn't drink up first.
