Metabolism Boosters and Busters

Boost Your Metabolism Now

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Provided by Prevention
  
  In the past you have always been able to drop weight by cutting back on calories for a few days or doing some extra hours of aerobics. Suddenly, the scale stops moving and you just can't get rid of those stubborn few pounds. The good news? You could lose up to 20lb in a year -- without eating less. Just by revving up your metabolism you can burn more calories every day, lose fat, boost your energy, feel stronger and more fit, and look and feel years younger. Here's how, plus metabolism busters to avoid.

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Booster: Kick your cardio into high gear.
  
  Your metabolism may stay revved up to five times longer after a vigorous aerobic workout than after an easy one.

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Booster: Eat mini-meals.
  
  Sometimes you just don't have time for lunch, when you're busy with work or the kids. Pack healthy snacks for the car and the office, such as almonds, apples, string cheese, or yogurt. Mini-meals will help you succeed both physically and mentally. Psychologically, mini-meals can help reduce cravings and prevent you from making bad food choices -- which is easy to do when you're starving. Physically, eating small amounts every two to four hours helps keep your blood sugar on an even keel and may even help your metabolism to keep burning at a higher rate.

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Booster: Sip green tea.
  
  In a study from Switzerland, men who took a green tea supplement three times a day with their meals, burned about more calories during the following 24 hours than those who took a caffeine pill or a dummy pill. The researchers believe that flavonoids in the tea were responsible for the metabolism boost.

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Booster: Have a cup of java.
  
  The amount of caffeine (about 135 mg) in an 8-oz cup of brewed coffee is enough to raise your metabolism for more than 2 hours. Drinking it before a workout may give you an extra kick. Caffeine may help free stored fat, so your body can burn it for energy as you exercise. (If you have high blood pressure, avoid caffeine before exercise.)

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Buster: Eat too few calories.
  
  When you deprive your body, it thinks you're stranded on a deserted island. The result: Your metabolism slows so you don't have to resort to eating rats to stay alive.

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Buster: Skip breakfast.
  
  Not eating breakfast may cause your resting metabolic rate to dip by 5 percent -- a small decline, but one that may creep up to a 10-lb weight gain in just a year's time.

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Buster: Extreme stress.
  
  Your metabolism may stay revved up to five times longer after a vigorous aerobic workout than after an easy one.

• Boost Your Metabolism Now

  Buster: Neglecting strength training.
  
  A 10-week study of more than 2,000 women found that those who participated in a simple twice-weekly workout (20 minutes of strength training and 20 minutesof aerobic exercise) not only shed 4 pounds of fat but also regained 3 pounds of muscle they'd lost during the aging process. One set is fine, just make sure the weight is heavy enough to fatigue your muscles after the 12th rep. Remember: As you lose weight, you may also lose muscle, leading to a slower metabolism, so always remember to challenge your muscles.

Lose It For Good

• Lose It For Good

  Lose It For Good
  
  Provided byPrevention
  
  Not all calories are created equal, and neither are all dieters. Weight loss works when it fits your personality, your lifestyle, and your taste in food. Here are top diet researcher strategies that really work.
  
  Image Credit: Stockbyte

• Lose It For Good

  Snack on nuts, lose more weight.
  
  Walnuts, pecans, unsalted peanuts, and other nuts keep you feeling fuller longer. They're packed with fiber and good fats, too. Have a handful (no more -- they're also high in calories) in place of your usual midmorning or afternoon snack.

• Lose It For Good

  Fool your stomach.
  
  Start meals with a big salad -- lots of veggies, no croutons or creamy dressing; have double portions of fruit and veggies at meals and skip or cut back on calorie-dense starches, fats, and fatty meats. Opt for a fruit dessert, with a dab of sorbet or ice cream for flavor. You can also eat eggs for breakfast. If you don't have time to scramble eggs on weekday mornings, hard-boil a few on Sunday and keep 'em up to a week in the fridge for quick, on-the-move breakfasts.

• Lose It For Good

  Cut sugar from your diet and get carbs from fiber-dense foods.
  
  Be sure you're subtracting high-glycemic foods when you add low-glycemic options. For example, say no to that blueberry muffin; have the banana and milk. Say yes to a handful of almonds; banish the chips. Love baked potatoes? Go with a sweet potato (with a GI of 54) instead of a white potato.

• Lose It For Good

  Exercise and maintain your muscles.
  
  In addition to your regular aerobic exercise, add some strength training. Aim for six to eight moves that target the upper and lower body. Choose a weight you can lift no more than 8 to 12 times. If weights aren't your cup of tea, try Pilates, swimming, or power yoga -- all of which will give you toned, firm, and shapely muscles.

• Lose It For Good

  Eat (lean) meat.
  
  Don't skimp on protein -- aim for a moderate portion at each meal. In a study, high-protein dieters got 25 percent of their daily calories from protein -- in a 1,500-calorie diet, that's just 375 calories (the amount you'd get if you had an egg, a 4-ounce chicken breast, and a hamburger made from 4 ounces of 96 percent lean ground beef).

• Lose It For Good

  Stay calm.
  
  Develop an inner sense of control that allows you to nip stress in the bud so you don't have to snack your way out of it. Meditation and yoga help. Active coping is also helpful in reducing persistent stress. For example, pay the bills -- rather than passive avoidance, such as refusing to open envelopes from your credit-card company.

Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  Why You Yo-Yo and How to Stop
  
  By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D.
  
  You know the drill: First you lose weight, then the pounds pile back on. You resolve to lose the weight again and eventually the weight rebounds. Put a stop to the weight cycle for good with these strategies tackling the top reasons why you yo-yo.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Underestimate the Power of Sugar
  
  Never underestimate the power of sugar to sabotage a diet. High sugar foods -- including foods that convert to sugar quickly, like pasta, bread, rice and other starchy carbs -- are kryptonite for people serious about losing weight. Why? Because by quickly raising blood sugar to a high level, they trigger the release of hormones that set you up for hunger and (sometimes) irresistible cravings.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Lie to Yourself
  
  Telling yourself, "A little bit won't kill you," might be true, but that bite may kill your chances for success. The solution? Rethink the whole concept of "cheating." Some diets really do work better when there's no room for error. The trick is not give up if you happen to mess up. Just don't set yourself up for failure by giving yourself permission in advance to "cheat."

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Think in Days
  
  There isn't a dieter alive who hasn't had the experience of "blowing" a meal and then thinking, "Oh, well, today is shot, I might as well start again tomorrow." For most people, tomorrow turns intonext week or next month. If you "blow" a meal, all that's blown is that meal. Think of the next time you eat as a new start, and approach the next meal as a new opportunity. Start thinking in hours (or meals) rather than days.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Misunderstand Willpower
  
  According to weight loss expert and Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., the reason most people hate the concept of willpower is that most people possess so little of it. But willpower is a learnable skill. It's simply the decision to do something and follow through regardless of temptations or distractions. It can be practiced and learned. Just like a muscle that strengthen over time until it's capable of heavy lifting.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Have Stinkin' Thinkin'
  
  Language is powerful. The way you speak about your weight loss experience -- especially to yourself -- sends a powerful message. Saying that you've "only" lost five pounds is negative, butcelebrating the fact that you've "lost five pounds and counting" is more positive and motivating. Reframe your experience to focus on what you have done. If you want positive results think about your experiences positively.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Think Too Much
  
  When you first start dieting you constantly weight options and decide whether to have this or that. As long as you stay in that mode, there's a good chance you'll screw up. But once a habit is formed,the decision becomes instinctual. Keep making those good decisions because after a while, it will become habitual and you'll be home free.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Have Unrealistic Expectations
  
  There are no unrealistic goals, but there are unrealistic time tables. If you want to look like a supermodel by next Friday, you're probably going to be disappointed. Set a realistic goal with a realistic timetable and you'll be setting yourself up for success. Instead of worrying about next week, think how you'll look next summer. Slow and steady wins the weight loss race every time.

Smart Diet Swaps

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Smart Diet Swaps
  
  Hidden calories and fat can sneak into the meals of even the most diet-conscious. Here we show you nine creative ways to shave calories and fat from your favorite foods.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Soup Savvy
  
  Abandon heavy, cream-based soups -- they can saddle you with 240 calories per cup. Stick with broth-based varieties, at roughly 150 calories a cup, and thicken them up by cracking a small egg into the soup while it's heating and swirl it throughout the pot. The egg makes the soup smooth and offers healthy protein while adding only 60 calories. You'll save about 30 calories, and about whopping 15 grams of fat per serving over the creamy soups.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Squash Calories
  
  Spaghetti can cost you 200 calories per cup -- and that's before you top it with sauce. For pasta lovers, spaghetti squash is a vibrant alternative. When cooked, the squash flesh becomes thread-like,resembling spaghetti. At only 75 calories per cup and no fat, it makes for a healthy and tasty stand-in.
  
  Image Credit: Jupiter Images

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Slimmer Cocoa
  
  A store-bought hot cocoa mix made with low-fat milk can add up to 250 calories per cup. Shave off about 115 calories, and some unwanted sugar, with this flavorful hot milk beverage: Heat 8 ounces of low-fat or non-fat milk with a cinnamon stick. Pour it into your mug and stir in one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Tuna with a Twist
  
  It's easy to overdo it with mayo in tuna salad. At 103 calories per tablespoon, you could easily add 300-plus calories to your dish. A lighter, tangy alternative to mayo? Toss canned tuna packed in water with lemon juice, onion, and capers and save yourself upwards of 100 calories. For an extra peppery flavor, add chopped watercress.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  It's a Wrap
  
  Put a new spin on the sandwich by doing away with the bread. Even two slices of the most dietetic versions can add 70 calories per slice. Place sandwich ingredients in buttery-soft bibb lettuce or the long leaves of romaine and wrap them up for a crunchier and much lighter meal.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Hold the Mayo
  
  If bread is a must for a sandwich, skip the fatty mayo and use lower-in-calories pickles or relish to moisten it. If it's a sandwich with cheese, use only one slice, then skip thecondiment altogether and heat the sandwich in the toaster oven to melt the cheese. It adds the moisture that the condiments would. Both tricks can save up to 40 calories per sandwich, and will spare you the 11 grams of fat per tablespoon of mayo.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Better Beef
  
  Reduce your fat content and boost fiber by swapping cooked, ground lentils for some of the ground beef in a recipe. Ounce for ounce, lentils and ground beef have a similar calorie count. But 3.5 ounces of ground beef racks up 20grams of fat, while the same amount of lentils carries only 0.8.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Muffin Tips
  
  Lighten up dense morning muffins. Trade whole wheat flour for half of the white flour in the recipe, and use unsweetened applesauce or pureed bananas for up to half of the oil. Both swaps can save you as much as 500 calories.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Salad Toppers
  
  Take full advantage of the health benefits of your light salad by avoiding toppings like bacon bits and croutons. Crowning the dish with chopped red onion and herb mixtures like cilantro and mint, or dill and flat-leaf parsleywill save you from the 60 calories or more the traditional toppings would normally add.