Your metabolism is a measure of how many calories you are burning each
day. But did you know that the food, exercise, and lifestyle choices
you make every day have a significant impact on your metabolism? For
example, if you starve yourself (instead of following a sensible
fat-loss eating plan) your metabolism will slow down. If your
metabolism slows down, it means your calories out will be less. And
that means no more fat loss, and possibly even continued fat gain.

So for every day that you continue to slow your metabolism with
unhealthy lifestyle choices, you get further and further away from fat
loss. To help, I’ve put together a list of the top 10 ways to maximize
your metabolism, so that you’ll burn as many calories as possible each
day so that you can finally lose the fat. For the exact workouts and
nutrition plan to help you lose the maximum amount of fat in as little
time as possible, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

1. Don’t starve yourself! Cutting calories too much is one of the worst
things you can do to your body. Starving yourself actually causes you
to lose much more water weight and muscle than fat. Use fitday.com to
find out your daily calorie intake.

2. Eat 6-8 small meals per day with an emphasis on lean proteins,
fruits, and vegetables. You have to have a nutrition plan, so spend a
couple hours on a day off preparing as much food as you can for the
upcoming week.

3. Eat breakfast. You have to make this meal part of your daily
metabolism-boosting plan. At the very least, eat a lean protein, drink
some Green Tea, and consume a fiber-rich fruit to get your fat loss day
started right.

4. Eat healthy fats. Sources of healthy fats included nuts, fish, olive
oil, and flax oil. I consume 10 grams of fish oil per day. Replace all
processed carbohydrates in your diet with almonds. For example, if you
currently eat a small bag of pretzels as a mid-afternoon snack, eat
almonds instead (eating the same number of total calories).

5. Eat high quality foods that will help you control your blood sugar
levels, insulin levels, and energy levels. Insulin management will help
you lose fat and prevent you form gaining fat. Controlling your hormone
levels is the #1 neglected factor in fat loss programs.

6. Eat 1.14g of protein per pound of lean body mass. If you don’t know
your lean body mass, then simply eat 1g of protein per pound of body
weight. But if possible, stick to the lean body mass recommendation, as
that eliminates excess fat mass when calculating protein needs.

7. Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol intake can quickly add hundreds of
calories and alcohol prevents fat burning. Alcohol intake can also
reduce testosterone levels, a big no-no for men looking to get lean.

8. Drink Green Tea and water. While I don’t believe that either of
these will increase your metabolism, I do believe that they help
prevent decreases in metabolism. Not too mention, these are your 2
healthiest beverage options.

9. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Don’t stay up all night, and
if possible, avoid working afternoon and overnight shifts. If you must
work shiftwork, stick to the rest of these principles as strongly as
possible.

10. Use the strength training with moderately heavy weights (that allow
you to complete 8 perfect reps per set) and interval training for the
most efficient and effective metabolism boosting workout.

If your metabolism has slowed down due to improper dieting or
lifestyle, then follow these tips to help you get back on track to lose
fat and gain muscle. Once you correct your metabolism, you will be on
the road to losing the fat for good. Just in time for summer.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training