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Let's face it - we all want to slim down. But today's hectic, fast paced lifestyle makes it difficult to lose weight. Millions of people try to slim down every year, only to fail. Why? Because they simply haven't found the "key" to real weight loss.
There is one major factor that helps us slim down: a high metabolic rate! Here are 5 tips for raising your metabolism:
- Don't skip meals! At first glance, this seems like poor advice. Skipping meals reduces caloric intake, right? Yes, but there is a problem with it - when you skip eating, your body thinks it might be a while before it sees any more food, so it goes into preservation mode.
In an effort to preserve its stored energy source (fat) for a rainy day, your body will lower its metabolic rate. This in turn causes you to burn fewer calories. This is exactly the opposite of what we need!
- Don't just do cardiovascular exercises, build muscle mass as well. While cardio routines will help you get into better general shape and boost your health, you need to grow your muscles in order to lose weight and keep it off. We can slim down by adding muscle! Why?
The concept is simple: muscle tissue requires more energy and burns more calories than fat. Even at rest, your muscles are using energy and burning calories. The larger your muscles, the higher your metabolic rate has to be to supply that energy.
- Concentrate on developing the largest muscle groups. Your leg muscles are the largest ones in your body and they burn the most calories. Concentrate a large part of your efforts on building them up.
Don't neglect the rest of your body however. A well-developed, symmetrical body looks better and more natural than one that's "lopsided".
- Eat a high protein, low fat diet. Protein feeds your muscles and provides the nutrition required for them to grow. Fat doesn't help you in any way, so for best results at slimming down adjust your meals accordingly.
You don't have to feel deprived however. When it comes to healthy food, quality is a lot more important than quantity!
- After you work out (for building muscle mass), do at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to strengthen your heart and help boost your metabolism. An elevated heart rate will keep your body burning extra calories for at least two hours after you finish exercising.
Conclusion
In order to slim down, you have to raise your metabolic rate. Teach your body to burn more calories, even at rest, by building your muscle mass and elevating your heart rate!
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