’ll never forget when I was working with a client that looked like he was going to have a heart attack. No this guy wasn’t extremely overweight or out of shape. In fact, I had helped him lose 40 pounds and we were really starting to have some fun because his fitness level was terrific. We had come a long way. He was looking great and enjoyed the new fitness challenges I brought to him in each session.
What was the problem?
He was really laboring with every exercise I had him doing and sweating profusely. This just wasn’t right for him. Then he started looking worse so I had him stop and get some water. He wanted to push ahead so I checked his heart rate and blood pressure – it was through the roof! I said no way pal!
I had him sit down and continued to monitor his heart rate and blood pressure making sure it was dropping. During this time I asked him, “Did you eat today and if so what?” I also asked him about his water intake.
Then it struck me!
He had to have ingested some sort of stimulant. He was a busy and driven professional always squeezing hours out of the day. So I asked him, “How many cups of coffee have you had today?” “What about soda?” He said he had only one cup of coffee in the morning.
Then he realized I was asking about any kind of stimulants (caffeine) he might have taken. We had talked a lot about minimizing caffeine because of its dehydration effects and other reasons in the past. So he mentioned, “You know Pete, I did start taking a pill today that’s for increasing my metabolism.”
WHAM! We found our problem. I told him unfortunately we were done for the day and I need him to do two things:
1. Drink a lot of water.
2. Throw that crap away!
You see, this gentleman was looking for another edge to get that last bit of fat off. He wanted to increase his metabolism and didn’t realize all these metabolism boosting pills are all the same. They are a bottle full of stimulants that jack up your heart rate. Add an already increased heart rate to exercise and you get a fit individual gasping for air and sweating profusely. This is a dangerous combination!
If you don't increase your body's burn rate or metabolism, you won't be able to burn the fat you want to get rid of, but you don’t get this through a pill!
So what can you do to boost your metabolism, lose inches, and eliminate that belly fat?
But doesn't your metabolism slow down with age? Yes, it can, But...if you follow the tips I outline below you'll stop your metabolism from slowing down.
Heck, you'll actually increase your metabolism, thanks to your new fat burning habits.
However, some heavily marketed metabolism boosters are BS...so here's the truth about the top 4 metabolism booster and how you can use them to burn fat.
1) Strength training
Strength training should be at the core of any fat loss program. It boosts metabolism up to 10% after a training session. Muscle is metabolically active. Therefore, every pound of muscle you add will increase your bodies calorie needs by 30-50 calories. In addition, you will have an increased metabolism for 48 hours after a weight training workout. The fact is you lose lean muscle with age if you don’t do anything to maintain it. A decrease in muscle is a major contributor to the slowing metabolism people experience with age. Metabolism is not a mystery or magical thing. The lean muscle that strength training helps you build will firm and tone your body like nothing else out there. Strength training must be a part of your fat-loss workout routine.
2) Breakfast
Research shows eating breakfast is associated with successful weight loss. Breakfast increases metabolism because it breaks your overnight fast. So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber,& fruit (& even veggies) at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next meal.
3) Eating every 2-3 hours after breakfast
Eating 5-6 small meals per day boosts metabolism and helps create hormonal changes that support fat loss. Infrequent meals are the classic mistake that slows your metabolism, because your body perceives its starving. Try and split up your meals into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. This one simple tactic can be the difference between becoming a fat burning machine or storing fat.
4) Interval cardio training
Interval training causes a greater increase in post- exercise metabolism than regular (steady state) cardio. It’s important to burn calories during a workout, but what matters most is how much you burn after the workout. Interval programs burn more calories during and after a workout, leading to more weight loss than a long, slow cardio training program.
Hard work and proper nutrition burn more calories and help you lose fat. On the other hand, magic pills and potions just don't work, but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
My advice?
Add strength training, intervals, mini-meals, and breakfast to your weight loss plan and you'll burn body fat fast thanks to your increased metabolism.
Are you ready to increase your metabolism with weight training, but find it intimidating or you just don’t know what to do? Not sure how to do interval training that boost your metabolism? Or is nutrition you biggest hurdle? Call any of my offices and greater Milwaukee’s best degreed and certified fitness consultants will be glad help or go here: www.FitnessTogether.net
In good health,
Pete Piranio BS, CSCS
Owner/Fitness Consultant
Fitness Together
www.FitnessTogether.net
Brookfield: 262-780-6350
Delafield: 262-646-5444
Wauwatosa: 414-453-9800
P.S. If you're ready to stop wasting your time on false promises and solutions that go nowhere and start getting serious health, fitness, and weight loss result now then request a complimentary introductory session and consultation at www.FitnessTogether.net/freeconsult.html
Not Ready Yet? No problem, request our free DVD and information package here: www.FitnessTogether.net/FreeDVD.html
