“Jump” starting your Metabolism
The word itself seems to send most middle-aged individuals into a frenzy of memories of what they used to be and how they did it. Building molecular structures from nutrients and then breaking them down for nutrients is a simple explanation of the process we call Metabolism. This occurs when we utilize nutrients we eat from food and the body takes those nutrients and distributes that to our body, through a chemical process through our blood. This process provides your body the ability to burn more calories (We like that.) and in turn provides high levels of energy. (Who wouldn’t like that?)
So how do we raise our metabolism? Here are a few ideas: First; Alter your diet. Nobody wants to do this, but if you want to see changes this is the best place to start. Here’s a suggestion to start with, pick one food that you consider an obstacle to weight loss and remove it from your diet. Don’t take everything out at once it’s too painful. Then start each week removing something from your diet that you know needs to change. After you have done well treat yourself to a nice dinner or a special snack you enjoy. You deserve it! Remember the importance of positive reinforcement and rewarding yourself for your hard work.
Next, add a form of exercise into your daily schedule. Start small, walk on a treadmill or walk outside, swim laps etc. Most importantly, Do Something! Create new habits that will transform and break bad habits. Small changes to your diet and exercise habits can help you see progress. New habits are keys to lasting success in lifestyle change. Our friends are some of the best tools we can use to help us stay motivated and to stay on track to make necessary changes. Utilize a friend or a family member to push you and become a workout buddy, when you don’t want to go walking or swimming they can help motivate you. Utilize all the resources you have to help make the changes that can boost your metabolism and help you enjoy more energy and better health.
Lastly but could be first, set truly achievable goals, a lot of people start their goals with numbers i.e. losing weight by looking at the scale daily, then reaching a weight loss goal you set. I suggest a different approach start with how your clothes fit. Instead of worrying about every pound you lose or gain, pay close attention to your clothes. Are they getting looser? Next weigh yourself once a month, the results will be better to handle for those of us who daily psyche ourselves out with the ups and downs of gaining and then losing weight. Results are so important, if we don’t see results we see our hard work and sacrifices as unnecessary. Remember some may enjoy results sooner than others, many of us have had bad eating and exercise habits for longer than we can remember. Making a conscious change to our lifestyle choices will benefit us years down the road especially with our metabolism, which will help you have proper energy and the ability to lose weight. Good luck!
