by Kimberlee King

Created on: April 23, 2009

We all know that the two key ingredients of any successful weight loss program are a proper diet and a good exercise program. Maybe you've been doing that and just can't get over that plateau you've reached. Metabolism is the process that your body uses to break down complex molecules (food) to create energy. By boosting your metabolism you force your body to break down food at a faster rate, thus decreasing it's storage as fat on the body. By following these strategies to boost your metabolism you will speed up your weight loss and also increase your body's ability to burn fat while resting. In other words you can even loose weight while sleeping!

Start the day right, Never Skip Breakfast! The first meal of the day is an important part of jump-starting your metabolism after a night of rest. It also helps cut out hunger related bingeing and over-eating at later meals. A cup of coffee is not breakfast either, a smart choice is one that contains complex carbs like the whole grains found in cereals or oatmeals. adding some protein and fat from the dairy group will keep you energetic and feeling satisfied longer.

Eat More Often. Instead of Having three big meals get into the habit of having five or six smaller meals throughout the day. Regular meals stabilize your blood sugar and prevent overeating. It also tremendously boosts your metabolism since your body is constantly working to break down food. When you go a long time without eating your body compensates by slowing down to conserve what energy you've given it and this can hurt your weight loss efforts.

Choose a protein at every meal-Protein reduces your apetite, takes more energy to digest and keeps you feeling full longer than carbohydrates alone.Recent studies have shown that boosting the amount of protein in your diet will help you lose weight faster.

Cut down on snacking- most of us consume snacks without really thinking and generally more out of boredom rather than true hunger. Instead of reaching for a snack go for a brisk walk and follow with a big glass of water, raising your heart rate and boosting your metabolism even further.Drinking plenty of water is a key factor in any weight loss program. Just by replacing your regular soft drinks with water you will get a big jumpstart on your diet, losing 5-8 pounds the first week! If you still feel hungry choose a healthy protein snack.
If you want to lose weight don't cut your caloric intake too far. Eating too little will slow your metabolism in the same way as infrequent meals.
Cut some of the extras like soda, chips and candy out of your diet to dramatically increase your weight loss efforts.
With your new, higher metabolic rate you will have a terrific energy boost take advantage of this to increase your exercise routine, you will look great and feel wonderful.

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