Are You Feeding the Fire?

By Ron McDonald Jr - CPT

Are you going through the day on limited fuel? Are you constantly putting new logs on the fire in a timely fashion throughout the day? If not then it may be time to strike another match to get that fire going. When I refer to "fire" I am speaking about your metabolism. I like to use the analogy that your metabolism is like a fireplace.

Your metabolism is very similar to a fireplace, in that if you don't put logs in the fire consistently over the course of a day, then it will mostly likely lower to a small simmer or much worst totally blow out.

What most people don't realize is that the human body is really a fat storage machine; And it is very good at it. This may come as a shock to many of you, but it is true. And the real kicker is guess where it likes to store all this fat - ladies and gentlemen. In the hips and thighs for most women and in the belly for most men. This further shows the importance of understanding how your body will respond to what you put in it.

This solidifies the importance of knowing how our body responds to what we put into it. You have to mentally decide to maintain a healthy body, because the body is NOT going to do it on its own. For example, if you are not active, and do not eat properly, what is going to happen? You are going to store more fat, right? So how do we solve this problem.

Here are some simple ways to rev up your own metabolism to achieve the results you desire in your fitness program:

1. Don't even think about skipping breakfast
   When you wake up in the morning from that wonderful beauty sleep, rested or not, your metabolism is running at the lowest gear of the entire day. Your body is basically running on fumes! By eating something your body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate. That shower may wake up you up, but that breakfast wakes up your metabolism.
   
   
2. Do not skip meals!
   You should be eating every 3 hours. When you eat your body has to digest food, by breaking it down into a usable form. This is called the Thermal Effect of Food or TEF for shorts. What does this mean to you? It means that eating burns calories. So the goal is for you to eat a combo of high-fiber carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats every three hours, in portions that are correct for your size and activity level. When it comes to the number of meals, less is not more. In fact, more meals, means more calories burned, so eat wisely, but eat up.
   
   
3. Have a lean source of protein with every meal.
   What has the highest (TEF) of them all? Protein! When you eat protein, it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. By including a lean protein source with every meal you give a little extra spark to your metabolic power. When choosing your protein, remember the saying: "The less legs the better." Fish have no legs and are a lean and healthy source of protein. Turkey and chicken have two legs - take off the skin and don't fry it and you have a fabulous source of protein. With anything that is or comes from an animal with four legs, be selective. Lean cuts of red meat and low-fat or non-fat dairy are the best options.

Just some simple strategies to get your fire (metabolism) firing on all cylinders. However, I think that simple strategies are the secret to a healthy lifestyle. To me its all about keeping it simple. If you can incorporate these simple techniques into your weight management program, you will on your way to success and a metabolism thats on fire. Its super simple.

"Make Up Your Mind; To Make Your Body"

Be Well.

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