I talk a lot about how diets don’t work…well, scratch that. They DO work, at first, but will always fail you in the long term.  

WHY? 

Because when we deprive our body of nutrients, which is the definition of a diet, our body will, as a result, eventually start to slow down the speed in which it metabolizes the food you do feed it.  So, even if you eat the SAME food you used to eat that allowed you to lose weight, you will start to gain weight again.

When we do that enough our natural set point (which is the rate at which we process food into energy) will increase.  What does that mean? It means a metabolism that is slowed down and will hold onto food, causing us to gain weight.

In addition, the older we get and the longer we have been eating in this kind of imbalance the slower it gets and the harder it is to turn around.

Our bodies want to serve us, but just like any relationship, when trust has been broken it takes a while for it to build back.  When we are inconsistent with our bodies, when we deprive them of nutrients, when we overstuff it, when we let it get hangry… 

…we break trust with it and as a result, respond accordingly by saying something like, “I have NO idea when this chick is going to feed me what I need when I need it so I am just going to hold onto what she does feed me so I can use it for those times when, well, she forgets that I need fuel!”

And what does that mean? Well, when we get hungry or deprive ourselves of the essential nutrients we need, our blood sugar gets all out of whack.  When that happens it will try to balance it on its own, and honestly, our bodies aren’t as efficient at doing that as we are by feeding it correctly. When our bodies try to do it on their own, it pulls fat from muscle, thus causing our metabolism to slow down even more!

The good news is, our bodies WANT to work harder for us, they don’t like to be a slow-moving, inefficient machine any more than you do!  

The truth is, you CAN turn around your metabolism…and when you do, your body takes what it needs and burns the rest…it’s like a fat-burning machine!

What does it take to start to get unstuck? Well, as we discussed, it is NOT about starting a new diet…but it IS about being intentional with what we eat and how we use FOOD as FUEL.

5 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism NOW!

1. Every time you eat, consume lean protein, good fat, and a healthy carb. The combination of those three macronutrients together gives your body what it wants each time it is fed and will allow for your blood sugar to be balanced. Consistently balanced blood sugar is the key to starting the process of boosting your metabolism.  
2. Eat every 3-4 hours, starting within 1 hour of waking up, based on hunger.  If you aren’t hungry after 4 hours, eat a ½ a meal of protein, fat, and carb until you start to get hungry around the 3-hour mark. If you aren’t hungry for 4 hours, you may be eating too much at each meal.  For more info on portions, click here.
3. Drink PLENTY of water throughout the day.  At least 64 oz for a woman and 96oz for a man.
4. Get the sleep you need.  Wake up one day without an alarm clock and see how long you slept. This is the goal for every night!  Sleep is one of the most essential things we can do!
5. Implement strength training into your exercise. Strength training and increasing your weight as you train will build lean muscle and burn fat up to 24 hours after a workout and the right nutritional practices will not only speed up your metabolism but your progress as well. 

By implementing these things consistently, you will start to see your body get hungry at about the 3-hour mark and if you don’t see weight loss right away, you will start to get an indication that your body is starting to convert what you eat and drink into energy more efficiently.

Keep this up consistently and you will start to see progress in your energy, mood, weight, bloat and so much more!  It’s all about trust…and trust is built on a foundation of consistently, positive behavior over time!!

Carrie