How to activate metabolism

Of course, with age, the metabolism slows down. But who said that we should just accept this? Learn how to spur metabolism in the body and burn excess calories.

A few years ago it was considered that the slowing of metabolism over time is as natural as the need to use reading glasses or the appearance of gray hair. Believing that it is possible to activate the metabolism only with the help of drastic measures, many fall into the same trap.
You seduce portions twice, refuse sweet and salty, begin daily training. But when in a week or two miracles do not happen, you drop your hands. And portions again become bigger, training - in short, you do not see anything terrible in having before going to bed pamper yourself with a slice of cheese or half a bar of chocolate. However, if you want to stay slim and full of energy, put aside your favorite mold cheese and think about this: recent studies have shown that we can control about 30% of metabolic processes. Yes, the remaining 70%, which are responsible for digesting food or updating cells, are beyond our control. But physicians engaged in physiology of excess weight, are assured: even those 30% of metabolic processes on which we can influence, and that much. Of course, in order to get rid of extra pounds, you need to start the changes from the food, or rather, there are certain groups of products at a certain time.

FEED WITH THE MIND

Count calories
We all understand: to get rid of excess weight, it is worth to give up cream ice cream and cookies in favor of fresh apples and carrots. And, of course, we know that we need to gradually reduce portions. However, if such simple measures do not lead to weight loss, it is worth considering the calorie content of the foods that you eat during the day, and the number of calories needed to maintain weight. It is believed that every 10 years, the rate of metabolism in women decreases by 2-3%, which means that with age, your need for calories is somewhat reduced. For example, at 25 years, a woman leading a moderately active lifestyle needs from 2000 to 2,200 kcal. In 35, this number is reduced to 2000, and after 50 years - to 1800. That's how many calories you need to not get better. But if you want to lose weight, the amount of calories consumed will have to be reduced. By calculating the required number of calories, you need to take into account your age, weight, height, lifestyle. On average, to support a 40-year-old woman who leads a moderately active lifestyle, with a height of 165 cm and a weight of 70 kg, approximately 2,000 kcal per day is needed. And to lose weight, you will have to reduce the diet by about 500 kcal per day. This will reset 500 grams per week. Try to reduce the amount of calories consumed, without increasing the intensity of physical activity, and watch for weight changes. If after a week you really lose 500 g, everything was calculated correctly. If the weight does not decrease, try to eat less and move more at the same time. However, keep in mind that it is impossible to reduce the calorie intake too much. However absurd this may sound, a strict diet can slow the metabolism by 20%. When calories are too low, our body switches to an "emergency" regime, trying to survive in a stressful situation and make more reserves for the future.

Revise the diet
Recently, it has been accepted that a fractional diet helps to get rid of excess weight faster. However, today, nutritionists agree that there is simply no universal prescription for all women. All doctors agree in one thing: a good breakfast is very important for good health and maintaining a healthy weight. And as for the rest of the meals during the day, you need to work out your own optimal regimen. For someone, fractional food (6 times a day, in small portions) is really very effective. But there are also those who can not reasonably estimate the size of a portion and with this approach eats too much. In this case, a full three meals a day is preferable. For other women, on the contrary, three meals a day turns out to be too much: breaks between meals are too large, and the hunger becomes so strong that it causes overeating. If in the past you have already tried unsuccessfully to lose weight, this time try to experiment to find the optimal diet. Keep track of well-being, calories and needs. And when you find the optimal approach, start keeping a diary of nutrition. Put all the dishes and drinks in it - be sure before you send it all into your mouth. This will allow us to adequately assess the amount of calories absorbed and build a nutrition plan for the future.

Keep track of the protein level
Remember that you need to build muscle. Muscles are a kind of power station of the human body. For a day to maintain 1 kg of muscle, 12 calories are needed, while 1 kg of fat consumes only 4 kcal. A study in 2012 in the Netherlands led to the following results: a sufficient amount of protein consumed during the day helps to lose weight and keep the result. But how much protein should be considered sufficient? This is approximately 1.2 grams per kilogram of your weight. For example, at a weight of 72 kg you need 86 g of protein daily. Boiled egg for breakfast (6 g), salad with tuna for lunch (16 g), 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese for a mid-morning snack (12 g), 150 g of baked chicken fillet for dinner (52 g). If your breakfast contains protein, it will not only charge you with energy, but will significantly reduce the need for snacks throughout the day. However, do not forget that you do not need to overeat anyway: an excessive amount of protein is stored in excess weight, just like carbohydrates.

BURN EXTRA CALORIES
Pay attention to cardio workouts
Actively engaged in the gym, you burn a large number of calories. Thanks to this, the metabolism is activated and calories continue to be consumed, even when you are resting. If 5 times a week you devote from 20 to 45 minutes of moderate physical exertion, then the daily energy consumption increases by 109 ek. That is, the effect of the lessons is preserved even in those days when you do not exercise. To determine the optimal intensity of the load, try to talk during the session. If it's easy for you to talk, then you are not moving efficiently. If the conversation is completely impossible to maintain and you begin to suffocate, the load should be reduced. The best option is this: you can talk during training, but it's difficult to do. Try to practice for 30 minutes a day, and do not worry that this will not be enough. Danish scientists in a series of experiments concluded that women who train for half an hour a day lose almost as much weight as those who give 60 minutes of training. In addition, half-hour sessions seem simpler, and a noticeable effect motivates you to continue in the same spirit.

Rotate the pace
To improve the effectiveness of classes, change the pace in which you perform the exercises. Within one minute, move as fast as possible, the next minute, lower the tempo to rest. It's easier to do this, and many women admit that training ceases to be a desperate struggle with calories, but turns into a kind of game.

Move more
Here is a simple example: if you answer the calls within an hour, sitting at your desk, you will spend 15 calories. But if you are talking standing up, then you will spend already 100 calories! On closer inspection, it turns out that by doing ordinary business, you can burn up to 800 additional kcal per day, just rising from the chair.

In addition to fighting overweight, such changes will significantly affect your health. Try to make as much physical activity as possible in everyday life. Some techniques are well known to everyone: give up the elevator and climb the stairs. Instead of sending an email to a colleague, get up and go to the next room, walk one bus stop on foot. But there are little tricks: while you photocopy the documents at work, make a stretching and stretch your hands. And while the kettle is boiling at home, take a few inclines to the side.