Burn More Calories and Lose Weight with 7 Metabolism Boosting Strategies

It’s the cardinal rule of weight loss—calories in minus calories burned through exercise and your innate metabolism, determines whether you gain weight or lose weight. Fortunately, the human body is like a furnace that is continually burning calories. The trick, however, is to find ways that turns up our inner metabolic thermostat causing our bodies to burn more calories and lose more weight without having to resort to an extreme exercise program.

According to Health magazine writer Kate Ashford, by adopting 7 metabolism boosting strategies that she recommends, you can kick start your metabolism to burn hotter to burn away more calories with just some small changes in how you eat and how you move.

The following is a summary of the January/February issue of Health magazine's 7 metabolism boosting strategies:

Metabolism boosting strategy #1: Think Strong

Research from Southern Illinois University shows that calories continue to be burned long after you have left the gym. The researchers discovered that 15 minutes of resistance training with weights burns an extra 100 calories per day for the next three days.

Strategy tip: Boost your metabolism with 1 to 3 sets of 5 resistance exercises just three days a week.

Metabolism boosting strategy #2: Lift First, Do Cardio Second

Apparently, lifting weights followed immediately by doing cardio burns more calories than cardio alone or doing cardio after a break from weight training.

Strategy tip: Go straight from weights to the treadmill or bike.

Metabolism boosting strategy #3: Go for Spicy Foods

Hot mustards and other spices not only can put a zing in your sandwich, but also boost your metabolism 20-25 percent.

Strategy tip: Spice up your meals with a variety of seasonings.

Metabolism boosting strategy #4: Include Intervals in Your Exercises

Changing the intensity of your exercises forces your muscles to work harder and burn significantly more calories. Researchers found that incorporating five 30-second sprints during normal cycling burns an extra 200 calories.

Strategy tip: Incorporate multiple brief pulses off all-out effort to your exercises to rev up your metabolism even more.

Metabolism boosting strategy #5: Drink Lots of Water

A study at the University of Utah found that drinking 8-12 glasses per day burned more calories in study participants at rest than a comparison group who drank only 4 glasses of water a day.

Strategy tip: Enhance the flavor of your drinking water by chilling with iced slices of fruit.

Metabolism boosting strategy #6: Post Workout Snack

Researchers found that a protein-carb snack right after strength training adds fat loss and builds more lean muscle in comparison to strength training without a post workout snack.

Strategy tip: You can buy protein-carb shakes like those used in the study, but a banana with peanut butter works just as well.

Metabolism boosting strategy #7: Cut Cause of Fat with Yoga

One study showed that a 50-minute session of yoga significantly decreases levels of the fat-causing stress hormone cortisol.

Strategy Tip: Yoga does not have to be intimidating for the uninitiated or take up a lot of time. You can find numerous articles in magazines like Health or on their website at health .com that often carry solo yoga moves that you can learn and do at home.

1. Prev:Important Weight Loss Side Effect Info about Dr. Oz Conjugated Linoleic Acid Fat Melter
2. Next:Status Update: Social Media Use May Help You Lose Weight