7 Ways to Wake up Your Metabolism and Lose Weight ...

1. Water is the Way to Go

Drink 8-12 glasses of water a day. This will help eliminate bloating, suppress your appetite, and increase metabolic functioning. Note: Water consumption should be increased in hot climates or during vigorous exercise. Research shows that by drinking 6 glasses of cold water a day, you will burn an additional 50 calories. These calories will add up to a 5 pound weight loss in a year. This tops the ways to wake up your metabolism and lose weight!

2. Have a Handful of Nuts

There have been numerous weight loss studies that have shown almonds to be helpful in weight reduction because of their fiber, protein and healthy monounsaturated fats. But remember to just have a handful because nuts are high in calories and fat. Just a little bit goes a long way in increasing your metabolism!

3. Oatmeal Helps Rev Your Metabolic Rate

Have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast to rev your metabolism. Oatmeal is healthy because it is high in fiber, low in calories and very filling. Oatmeal also contains lecithin, a natural fat burner. If you have steel cut oats the lecithin is also minimally processed, which is an added bonus. This is one super food you should definitely add into your current meal plan! Because of the filling effect of oatmeal, studies show that by eating oatmeal earlier in the day, you will graze less throughout the day.

4. Intense Exercise Burns More Calories

According to the Mayo Clinic, intense training is simply alternating bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity. And the best part of intense training is that you will get your heart rate up higher and burn more calories. The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you’ll burn— even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time. So go ahead and boost your workout with intense training and with the quick results you will see, you will be glad you did. Add in some weight lifting and you will become a fat burning machine!

5. Small Changes Can Help You Lose Big

Keep the calories burning when you are at work, school or at home. Take the stairs, park far away and get down and do some squats and pushups when you can. You can easily turn your daily routine into a more active one by integrating pushups as your mid morning break. At home utilize your dusting and vacuuming as a shoulder and triceps workout. There are so many simple and small ways to burn extra calories and increase your metabolism throughout the day!

6. Fill up with Fiber

Make sure to eat plenty of fiber to aid in the digestive process and to eliminate bloating. You can get your daily fiber through fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eating ample fiber is one of the top ways to wake up thinner and increase your metabolism. I make sure to eat my 5 veggies every day to feel like a lean, mean fighting machine (okay, maybe I am not so mean!).

7. Get Plenty of Rest

With your busy life you will need plenty of sleep. And according to a Case Western Reserve University study, women who sleep for five or fewer hours a night are 32 percent more likely to gain weight and 15 percent more likely to become obese than women who sleep for seven or more hours. So rev up your metabolism by sleeping more. It is believed that lack of sleep may slow metabolism or decrease the calories burned by spontaneous activities such as fidgeting. What better reason could there be to get some extra shut eye?

Hope you have enjoyed my tips on how you can increase your metabolic rate to lose weight. Remember, being healthy has to become part of your lifestyle to see lifelong changes and it is a healthy change worth making because it will affect your life today, tomorrow and for years to come. Do you currently follow any of my tips to rev your metabolism? If so, which ones do you follow?