Increase Metabolism ~ HOW?????

CBV2 · January 2008

Does anyone know of ways to increase your metabolism rate? I keep gaining (or maintaining) and I'm working out 3 - 4 times per week in the gym, have 2 young kids at home to keep up with, work 40+ hours, and have had about every test my doctor can think of. My last visit to the doctor I was told that because I am 38,...I could expect to gain 10 pounds per year ~ WHAT!!!!! My thyroid test said "within normal limits". I just have the doctors office stumped. Now where do I go???????:sad:

CBV2 · January 2008

Does anyone know of ways to increase your metabolism rate? I keep gaining (or maintaining) and I'm working out 3 - 4 times per week in the gym, have 2 young kids at home to keep up with, work 40+ hours, and have had about every test my doctor can think of. My last visit to the doctor I was told that because I am 38,...I could expect to gain 10 pounds per year ~ WHAT!!!!! My thyroid test said "within normal limits". I just have the doctors office stumped. Now where do I go???????:sad:

mimzy123 · January 2008

the only way i can think of is maybe working out before you eat a whole lot. 45 minutes of heart pumping actvity boosts your metabolism for up to 8 hours. it sounds like you work out, but maybe try going earlier in shorter amounts of time, but more often in the week.. and eating what your profile has laid out for you.. i hope that helps

Razboo · January 2008

6 small meals per day. I don't bother with that, but some folks swear by it. (I actually gained trying it.)

Part of the joy of the 30's is finding out your metabolism slowed (I don't care how many meals you eat.), that you don't heal as fast when wounded, hangovers are worse...

Enjoy!

c-grandma · January 2008

:flowerforyou: I know EXACTLY what you are going thru! I'm older than you are, I'm 53, but I have the same problem. I have a really hard time getting this weight off. My thyroid is fine also. Metabolism is tricky. I just keep trying different ways of dieting. You exercise, too, and that's good. I exercise 6 days of the week, walking and running. I do aerobics and weights and stretchy bands, three days a week. It's coming off, but slowly. You have young children to contend with, plus a job. It's hard, but well worth the effort. I've been told to increase my exercise time, and the amount of reps with the weights. I try, but it's hard! They also say-eat more often during the day, but smaller meals. And watch the carbs. Good luck!-Chris.

kristie874 · January 2008

Try introducing strength training. As you build muscle, your body will burn fuel more efficiently. Try, also, spacing out your calories throughout the day and don't forget to eat snacks between meals. If you're doing a very small number of calories, try upping them some. Our bodies won't let us lose properly if we're not feeding it well. Just some suggestions.

nykko · January 2008

Warning- Long...

Your life circumstances are very similiar to my own (37 y.o, 2 young children, work out of the home full time and work out every other day). My weight used to fall off and I noticed this time around, it's been a little tricky but since 1/3, I've lost 5 lbs.

So since it seems you're fine medically, I would try going back to basics....simple math. Okay, you have to burn 3400 calories more than you take in in to lose 1 pound. You probably burn say 1800-1900 calories per day just going about your normal daily activities (check this using a bmr calculator...you can find them online). If you consume say 1200 (which is a probably a bit too low), you have burned 600-700 calories more than you consumed. At this same rate, in 5-6 days you should be 1 lb lighter. Now to the extent that you exercise, you should lose the pound in less than 5-6 days maybe 3-4 days. Also, be sure to weigh yourself naked first thing in the morning after using the bathroom.

In short:

You burn 1900 calories daily
You consume 1200 calories daily
Calorie deficit: 700
3400 calories/ 700=4.8 or 5 days to lose 1 lb

The key is making sure we accurately calculate what we consume. For me, I became best friends with my measuring cup and my food scale. Before I weigh/ measure anything though, I try to guess the weight or measurement first....no surprise....I always underestimate. Once I thought I was eating 1/2 cup of rice...I put in in the measuring cup and it was 1 and 1/2 cups...LOLOL....who knew?!?! This tells me that when I'm not eating things that are pre measured for me (i.e Lean Cuisine), I'm probably under calculating the actual calories. I'm getting better at "eye balling" food now as time goes on.

Now as for the eating 5 times per day....I tried that last time I was on a diet in 2006 but haven't started it this time. I must admit...I don't know what it did for my metabolism BUT I never gave myself a chance to get hungry which leads to overeating. This time I find I'm really hungry in the evening so I'm trying to transition to the small meals. I'm thinking: 1/2 grapefruit in the morning (60 cals), maybe a kiwi fruit (50 cals) mid morning, lean cuisine for lunch (300 cals), 1-2 cups popcorn mid afternoon (80 cals), a nice dinner (600 cals) and then a 100 calorie pack after dinner plus crystal lite gets me to about 1200 cals. Again, a bit low but allows for a sneak treat or larger dinner if necessary.

Hope this helps a bit!

SoupNazi · January 2008

What kind of exercises are you doing? Hopefully your mixing strength training with aerobics. I had the same problem several years ago and also underwent a throid test. But I've learned so much about metabolism since then, so I hope this helps....
1. Stay hydrated! Being hydrated alone boosts your metabolism 33%. By the time you are thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. It helps to start your morning off with a glass of water (I had a hard time with that one, so I downed iced tea instead.) Not only does your metabolism slow at night, think of how long you've gone without drinking anything. Also, when you drink cold water, your body has to heat it up to absorb it, also triggering your metabolism to go higher.

2. Strength training. Muscle requires twice as many calories to maintain it and therefore burns calories faster. Muscle also weighs twice as much as fat, so don't worry about the scale. I actually stayed the same weight for awhile, yet I was fitting into smaller jeans because I was building much needed muscle that people over 30 start to lose on a yearly basis.

3. NEVER skip breakfast! Have you ever heard of someone say, "I don't eat breakfast because I'm not hungry in the morning OR I don't eat breakfast because when I do, I get hungrier a little bit later." That's because your body needs to jumpstart itself in the morning. You need to put 'wood' on the 'fire ', so to speak. If your not hungry, eat a small bowl of cereal or a banana...but just do it. It's also proven that you will eat less and make healthier choices throughout the day.

4. Don't allow your body to go into starvation mode. After several hours without eating, that's exactly what your body will do and the next time you eat, it will hang on to every calorie and fat gram consumed. Never go more than 5 hours without eating, even if your not hungry....munch on something healthy. If you watch naturally thin people who can eat anything without gaining an ounce, they have several things in common....They eat slowly and they eat small portions throughout the day.

I hope some of these tips help you...they sure have helped me over the past year

RiverCameron · January 2008

I'm going to echo what so many have said already. Lift weights, and heavy ones (I mean heavy for you, not heavy for like Arnold Schwartzenager). The reason our metabolism slows as we age is because we lose muscle mass. You need to make sure you are lifting heavy enough that you couldn't do more than 10-12 reps at most, like a 13th would be physically impossible. As you improve, don't add reps, but up the weight. Lifting heavier helps build muscle mass, which burns more calories. Don't worry, unless you add chemical assistance, you won't look like Arnold, but you'll increase your metabolism (from what I've read, a pound of muscle burns somewhere between 30 and 50 calories a day just by existing, so gain 5 pounds of muscle and you'll increase your metabolism by up to 250 calories a day. And 5 pounds of muscle is relatively small compared to the same amount of fat.

Good luck,
Rose

Eliyan · January 2008

There are a few ways to boost your metabolism, a couple have already been mentioned, such as eating small meals frequently throughout the day, muscle boosting as well as aerobic exercise.

You should also try to get 8 hours of sleep a night and drink a lot of water. Studies have shown that the resting metabolic rate about 40 minutes after drinking water is as much as 30 percent higher.

Also, using a sauna and detoxing or doing a cleanse can help a lot.

CBV2 · January 2008

Thank you all for your thoughts ~ I will give it a try and re-look at what I do (exercise) and eat ~ good luck to all of you

CBV2 · January 2008

:laugh:

CBV2 · January 2008

Warning- Long...

Your life circumstances are very similiar to my own (37 y.o, 2 young children, work out of the home full time and work out every other day). My weight used to fall off and I noticed this time around, it's been a little tricky but since 1/3, I've lost 5 lbs.

So since it seems you're fine medically, I would try going back to basics....simple math. Okay, you have to burn 3400 calories more than you take in in to lose 1 pound. You probably burn say 1800-1900 calories per day just going about your normal daily activities (check this using a bmr calculator...you can find them online). If you consume say 1200 (which is a probably a bit too low), you have burned 600-700 calories more than you consumed. At this same rate, in 5-6 days you should be 1 lb lighter. Now to the extent that you exercise, you should lose the pound in less than 5-6 days maybe 3-4 days. Also, be sure to weigh yourself naked first thing in the morning after using the bathroom.

In short:

You burn 1900 calories daily
You consume 1200 calories daily
Calorie deficit: 700
3400 calories/ 700=4.8 or 5 days to lose 1 lb

The key is making sure we accurately calculate what we consume. For me, I became best friends with my measuring cup and my food scale. Before I weigh/ measure anything though, I try to guess the weight or measurement first....no surprise....I always underestimate. Once I thought I was eating 1/2 cup of rice...I put in in the measuring cup and it was 1 and 1/2 cups...LOLOL....who knew?!?! This tells me that when I'm not eating things that are pre measured for me (i.e Lean Cuisine), I'm probably under calculating the actual calories. I'm getting better at "eye balling" food now as time goes on.

Now as for the eating 5 times per day....I tried that last time I was on a diet in 2006 but haven't started it this time. I must admit...I don't know what it did for my metabolism BUT I never gave myself a chance to get hungry which leads to overeating. This time I find I'm really hungry in the evening so I'm trying to transition to the small meals. I'm thinking: 1/2 grapefruit in the morning (60 cals), maybe a kiwi fruit (50 cals) mid morning, lean cuisine for lunch (300 cals), 1-2 cups popcorn mid afternoon (80 cals), a nice dinner (600 cals) and then a 100 calorie pack after dinner plus crystal lite gets me to about 1200 cals. Again, a bit low but allows for a sneak treat or larger dinner if necessary.

Hope this helps a bit!

CBV2 · January 2008

Thanks for the help ~ I have been doing this since 1/3 and haven't lost a pound. I'll have to relook at what I do

Warning- Long...

Your life circumstances are very similiar to my own (37 y.o, 2 young children, work out of the home full time and work out every other day). My weight used to fall off and I noticed this time around, it's been a little tricky but since 1/3, I've lost 5 lbs.

So since it seems you're fine medically, I would try going back to basics....simple math. Okay, you have to burn 3400 calories more than you take in in to lose 1 pound. You probably burn say 1800-1900 calories per day just going about your normal daily activities (check this using a bmr calculator...you can find them online). If you consume say 1200 (which is a probably a bit too low), you have burned 600-700 calories more than you consumed. At this same rate, in 5-6 days you should be 1 lb lighter. Now to the extent that you exercise, you should lose the pound in less than 5-6 days maybe 3-4 days. Also, be sure to weigh yourself naked first thing in the morning after using the bathroom.

In short:

You burn 1900 calories daily
You consume 1200 calories daily
Calorie deficit: 700
3400 calories/ 700=4.8 or 5 days to lose 1 lb

The key is making sure we accurately calculate what we consume. For me, I became best friends with my measuring cup and my food scale. Before I weigh/ measure anything though, I try to guess the weight or measurement first....no surprise....I always underestimate. Once I thought I was eating 1/2 cup of rice...I put in in the measuring cup and it was 1 and 1/2 cups...LOLOL....who knew?!?! This tells me that when I'm not eating things that are pre measured for me (i.e Lean Cuisine), I'm probably under calculating the actual calories. I'm getting better at "eye balling" food now as time goes on.

Now as for the eating 5 times per day....I tried that last time I was on a diet in 2006 but haven't started it this time. I must admit...I don't know what it did for my metabolism BUT I never gave myself a chance to get hungry which leads to overeating. This time I find I'm really hungry in the evening so I'm trying to transition to the small meals. I'm thinking: 1/2 grapefruit in the morning (60 cals), maybe a kiwi fruit (50 cals) mid morning, lean cuisine for lunch (300 cals), 1-2 cups popcorn mid afternoon (80 cals), a nice dinner (600 cals) and then a 100 calorie pack after dinner plus crystal lite gets me to about 1200 cals. Again, a bit low but allows for a sneak treat or larger dinner if necessary.

Hope this helps a bit!
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Increase Metabolism ~ HOW?????

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