Rev Up Your Lifestyle To Keep Your Metabolism Humming!

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia – Public Domain)

A recent article titled “Exercise not likely to rev up your metabolism” proved to be an interesting read. It points out an intriguing notion among many, namely that when people start exercising they’ll become round-the-clock, fat-burning machines.

The article pointed to a study which had participants perform various exercises on separate days, at low-intensity or high-intensity, and it did not prove that people burned more fat in the 24 hours after they exercised. I’m not sure I agree with this assertion, especially since participants burned only about 400 calories, which can be done blindfolded and gagged in an hour by anyone moderately fit.

It all boils down to a complete lifestyle. No matter what you do in the gym, you can easily undo it at home, in front of the dinner plate. Let’s say you burn 1000 calories during an intense exercise class session. That’s a whole lot of sweat, effort, and mean glares at the instructor. It’s also a healthy kick in the pants to the metabolism, contrary to the results of the aforementioned study. But did you know it only takes about 10 minutes to consume those same calories again, depending on your food choices? Repeat that too many times and you can easily undo what you set out to do. Say hello to your new friend – the belly pooch.

The article continues: “Essentially, weight loss comes down to math, and the number of calories in versus calories out. To lose a pound of fat, you need to create a deficit of about 3,500 calories.” True, and that can be done with a combination of diet and exercise. Eating wholesome, unrefined and fibre rich foods which are naturally low in calories, and then combining this with exercise creates a calorie deficit by burning fat.

However, there are some guidelines. Carbohydrates, even when whole grains, must be kept in moderation. You also have to avoid what is called “portion lunacy.” Wholesome food, in smaller amounts and more times daily is the key to weight loss.

As for exercise itself, to get the biggest bang for your buck you need to continually challenge yourself. Gradually ratchet up the intensity to avoid plateaus. One way to kick up your program is to interval train, whether with cardio, machines or functional training. The more fit you become, the harder you can work out and the bonus is that you will need less time to train. This should be great news for busy professionals.

So there you have it – the latest scoop on a healthy lifestyle.  There’s no big secret, just go out there and enjoy yourself, be consistent in how you exercise and keep the eating fresh and wholesome. The good results will keep you motivated, help you gain confidence and feel good about your new body.

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