Fear Cookies?

 

Don’t you wish looking at cookies didn’t cause weight-gain? When I was overweight, I swear, one glance translated into an added pound. Now, despite having a metabolism that’s 10 years older, I can eat the occasional cookie and not gain an ounce.

According to research, the metabolism of a woman in her 40’s is about 20% slower than in her 20’s. How did I overcome that “inevitable” slowdown? I lost weight.

Your ability to burn cookie-calories (or any others) is dependent upon your metabolism. First, forget the idea that you are at the mercy of a slow metabolism. According to author John Berardi, PhD, your genes are only responsible for 5% of your calorie-burning capabilities. Jump starting your metabolism means increasing your body’s need for energy.

The top three ways to keep your body revved:

Exercise: Vary the intensity of your workout activities. Alternate three minutes of running or biking with 30 seconds of all-out effort. Even once you’re sitting still, you’ll burn another 100 to 200 calories.

Eat: Eating frequently (every two to three hours) tells your body it’s not going to starve. Skipping meals and gorging at night “scares” your body into storing calories as fat.

Build muscle: Muscles are big eaters. Each extra pound of muscle can burn up to 50 additional calories.

The best advice of all? Get lots of sleep. Your body will be busy repairing and replacing cells, pumping blood and creating hormones. The number of calories it’s using accounts for 60% to 75% of total calories burned. There’s a workout you can’t say “no” to!

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