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I’m a doughnut voyeur. I love to watch people eat them…sometimes up close. I’ve been known to beg others to eat, just so I can watch. Sick, I know. But the truth is, I really can’t eat doughnuts like I used to anymore—or at least I choose not to. Because, over age 40, my metabolism cannot pack in and burn off the calories it once did when I was 20-something. It’s a sad fact that, as we age, our metabolism slows and if our food consumption doesn’t decrease, we grow fatter. All is not lost, however. There are a few things we can do to increase our metabolism (the rate at which our bodies convert energy from the food we eat and the fat our bodies store).
1) Eat! Isn’t that awesome? When we eat our bodies go to work. In the same way that it takes money to make money—it takes calories to increase the energy efficiency of the calorie burning mechanism of our bodies. Thus, yes, eating a portion of breakfast increases your metabolism! But not everything you eat is created equal.
2) Eat protein. Your body burns two times the amount of calories to process protein than it does carbohydrate. This also means that you will stay satisfied longer and eat less.
3) Lift weights. The main reason your metabolism slows is that every year after the age of 35, you lose 3% of your muscle mass. Your body needs more energy to sustain muscle. So the less muscle you have, the less calories you will actually burn. By 40 years of age, the average woman has lost 15% of the muscle mass she had at age 30! That’s enough to begin making a serious metabolic difference (not to mention creating doodle sacs under the arms!). The great news is that you can actually reverse this process by weight training twice a week with weights that are heavy enough to exhaust your muscle in 8-10 reps of 3 sets two times a week. And, no ladies, this will not bulk you up as some fear. But it will set your body into a muscle building phase for up to four hours after your workout, which will increase your metabolic rate during that time. As your muscle mass increases over time, so will your resting metabolic rate.
4) Go for a run. Intense aerobic workouts such as body pump, cycling, swimming or running will burn calories during your workout as well as for a short time afterwards. Even if you’re a walker, consider incorporating short bursts of running into the walk to get your heart rate up. New studies have shown you need a 30 minutes a day of intense aerobic workouts to make a difference in your body weight. While these activities will not build muscle or reverse the muscle loss that comes with aging, they will help you to sustain your current weight or lose weight, depending on how much you are eating.
5) Hydrate yourself with 6-8 glasses of water a day. Studies have shown that even mild dehydration (the effects of which you won’t even notice) will slow your metabolic rate. Try drinking one glass before each meal, which will help to fill your stomach, leaving less room for seconds!
6) Drink cold water. Having just 5-6 glasses of cold water a day can burn an extra 10 calories a day. Big deal, you say? That comes to a pound a year simply because you took your water from the refrigerator or had your water on the rocks. I’ll take any help I can get!
7) Eat more often. Eating small portions more frequently as opposed to three large meals will help your metabolism to stay kicked in. Just make sure that you are eating less during your main meals than you would if you weren’t snacking—calories add up fast, and if you eat more than you burn, you gain weight.
8) Eat spicy foods. Studies have shown that 1 tablespoon of red or green chili peppers can increase your metabolism by up to 23% for a half hour after eating. Consider spicing up your pasta or soup to kick start your metabolic rate.
9) Drink black coffee. Two cup of coffee will burn an extra 50 calories in four hours. That’s equivalent to walking a mile. (Is it wishful thinking that 4 cups in 20 minutes will burn the equivalent of cross-country race? ) Just consider that sweeteners and creamers will reverse the affects, depending on what you and how much you use.
10) Drink Green Tea. If you don’t like coffee, green tea will do the same thing for you.
11) And, last but not least….breastfeed! This encouragement for a few special friends of mine. Not all of us have this option…but bravo to those who do and take it. One of the many rewards is that you will return to pre-pregnancy weight much faster than if you had bottle fed because your metabolic rate is increased during milk production.
