Skipped meals = weight gain!

I have heard many people say that they are on a brief "crash diet" before a big event or weigh in.  Celebrities are notorious for doing this prior to red carpet events.  What many people don't know is that the few ounces "saved" from skipping a meal can result in increased pounds down the road!

YOUR METABOLISM IS YOUR FURNACE

If you want an effective, hot-burning furnace (metabolism), does it make any sense to starve it of fuel??  The best way to stoke the flames of your furnace is:

1. Give it high-quality fuel - you cannot reasonably expect great quality furnace performance when you fuel it with garbage.  A good fire needs wood/coal, oxygen, etc the same way your body needs lean protein, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables.  Instead of thinking of a particular food as "good" or "bad", ask yourself if it will benefit your metabolism.

2. Fuel up frequently - if you want a fire to burn 24 hours per day you need to add fuel at regular intervals.  Many people eat only one meal per day and wonder why they don't lose weight.  But, by doing this, they send a message to the body that it will only get fueled once per day so for the rest of the day, the body must hold on to every bit and conserve...translation - your body doesn't trust that you will feed it so it will hold onto your fat to get through the rest of the day.  If you eat regularly, your body can trust that fuel will be easily available and it doesn't need to greedily hoard any supplies in your fat cells for protection.

3. Rev it up! - blaming your weight on a bad metabolism?  It is true that certain brands of furnaces are more efficient that others (ie some people have a better metabolism genetically) but you can give it your best effort even with less than ideal genes.  Muscle burns 3 times more calories than fat, so small increases in muscle (lean body mass) can give big dividends metabolically.  And, if you want to burn more, there is no substitute for exercise...you have to sweat!

4.  Spice up your life - spices such as turmeric (curry), cinnamon, hot peppers, and Tabasco give small increases in your metabolism!  These delicious food additives have anti-oxidants and give any pro-metabolism diet and exercise plan a small boost!

Reader Question:  What other topics would YOU like to hear about in order to boost YOUR metabolism and health?