Motivate Your Metabolism By Building Muscle

Your metabolism dictates how your body uses the calories that you consume. It determines the rate that you burn calories and in the end whether you gain or lose weight quickly and easily. So what factors affect how your metabolism works or are we stuck with the metabolism that we’ve been dealt?

Diet has much to do with the way that your metabolism works. Now when I say diet, I am talking about a way of life, a long term plan, not just a temporary “diet” that helps you to lose weight. The changes you make have to be something you can live with for life.

Caffeine and spicy foods play a big role in motivating your metabolism temporarily, but there are healthy ways to achieve long-term results. Protein, essential for building and repairing muscle, has a greater thermal effect than other carbohydrates or fat. In other words, it heats up and speeds up the metabolism.

In recent studies, people on a high protein diet lost more weight and fat than people who ate the same amount of calories on a low protein diet. You should strive for one serving of protein at every meal, but choose lean sources that are low in saturated fat. Include fruits and vegetables to give you all your needed nutrients and aid in digestion.

But one of the best ways to motivate your metabolism is by building muscle. Did you know that the more muscular your body is, the faster your metabolism burns fat? After a strength-training workout, your body will continue to use the calories in your body, sometimes for hours. That’s why fit athletes can consume massive amounts of food and calories without seeming to gain any weight.

It takes more calories to build muscle than it does to store fat. So the secret is to exercise for at least 6 days a week. Alternate your days by doing aerobic exercise to build your endurance and strengthen your heart. You’ll also burn fat with a good cardio workout and aerobics will help to speed up your system too.

By combining strength training exercises and aerobics, you will build muscle, increase flexibility and improve your range of motion. Plus, you’ll motivate your metabolism to work for you.

So, if you are having trouble dropping some pounds, make sure you are eating plenty of protein, fruit and veggies and exercising regularly with a firm plan in mind. If you are looking for ideas to help you lose weight, join Fitness4Her today. With healthy cooking recipes, step-by-step exercise routines, and all sorts of informative articles and support, you can learn to love food and enjoy an active lifestyle that will keep you and your metabolism completely motivated for life.