Boost Your Metabolism

by Leslie Aronson — April 12, 2008

Paying closer attention to your metabolism is one way to boost your energy level and aid your weight loss regimen. As this month's issue of "Delicious Living" reports, eating a higher protein breakfast (this means not skipping it!) jumpstarts your metabolism and keeps you feeling fuller for a longer length of time than say, just eating toast or other higher-glycemic foods. Skipping meals in general is a bad idea as this slows down your metabolism. Going to bed on a full stomach is also bad for your metabolism and digestion, so don't eat anything at least three hours before bed.

According to webmd.com, drinking plenty of water can also amp your metabolism in that it aids proper liver function: when you don't drink enough water your liver goes into water retention mode, not fat-burning mode, so your metabolism slows down. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism, but adding weight training (and it doesn't take a lot - we're not talking major bulking up here) to your aerobic routine will turn you into a more efficient calorie-burning, metabolic-boosting lean fitness machine.