1. Use interval training to rev up your workout.
Walk for the same amount of time at the
same intensity day in and day out and your body will get as bored with
your workout as you do. Throw in some variety with interval training,
which involves changing the intensity of your workout throughout your
exercise session. Every 5 minutes of your walk, jog for 1 minute. Every 5
minutes of your bike ride, shift into a higher gear and pedal hard for a
minute. If you swim, speed up every other length. You'll burn more
calories in the same amount of time.
2. Fidget.
3. Keep a small squeeze ball with you and grip and squeeze it frequently during the day.
4. Don't starve yourself.
5. Put five rubber bands around your wrist every morning.
That's how many 16-ounce bottles of
water you should drink during the day to rev up your metabolism, helping
to burn more calories. At least, that's what German researchers found
when they got 14 participants to drink about 500 ml of water. The
volunteers' metabolic rate - or how quickly they burned calories -
jumped a third within 10 minutes of drinking the water and remained high
for another 30 or 40 minutes. The researchers estimated that, over a
year, increasing your water consumption by 1.5 litres a day would burn
an extra 17,400 calories, or about 2.25 kg (5 lb) worth. Since much of
the increased metabolic rate is due to the body's efforts to heat the
liquid, make sure the water you're drinking is icy cold.
6. Turn up the heat with hot peppers.
Some studies show that very spicy foods
can temporarily increase your metabolism. Specialist grocers often stock
many different kinds of peppers. Buy one type a week and add some to
various meals. Spice up your scrambled eggs with minced jalapeƱo, add a
little fire to beef stew with half a Scotch bonnet pepper.
7. Exercise outside.
8. Eat five small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals.
9. Sip a couple of cups of coffee throughout the day.
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10. Don't worry if you've been yo-yo dieting.
There's a myth that if you've spent your life losing and gaining the same 10 to 20 lb, your metabolism gets out of kilter and ends up slowing right down. Don't believe it. When researchers reviewed 43 studies on the topic, they found no difference in the metabolic rates of yo-yo dieters compared to those of everyone else.
11. Walk with intent - and intensity.
Burn more calories in the same amount of time with these strategies:
1. Swing your arms when you walk. You'll burn 5 to 10 per cent more
calories.
2. Wear a weighted vest - another great way to burn calories. But leave
the hand and ankle weights at home. They throw you off balance and could
result in injury.
3. Walk on grass, sand or a gravel path instead of the road. It takes
more muscle power to glide smoothly over these uneven surfaces
(especially sand) than over asphalt.
4. Use walking poles. A U.S. study found that you get a much more
intense workout than you would without the poles.
5. Walk along the shore of a river or lake with your ankles in the
water. The resistance burns more calories and gives your muscles an
added workout.
12. Increase the protein in your diet.
There is some evidence that if you
increase your protein intake to the upper end of the recommended range
(roughly 20 per cent of overall calories), the amount of energy you
expend at rest will remain the same even while you're losing weight.
Normally, as you lose weight, your body adjusts and you burn fewer
calories at rest.
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