If this sounds like you, don’t despair. A “slow metabolism” isn’t something you’re stuck with. Here are six easy ways to turbo charge your metabolism. Do them regularly and watch yourself transform from sluggish to svelte in no time.

1. Lift weights.
Every pound of muscle you add to your body burns more calories. That’s because muscle is a gas guzzler: it requires more “fuel” (calories) than fat does making you a “better butter burner” and raising your basic metabolic rate, the number of calories you burn at rest. And it’s never too late to start. Researchers at the University of Alabama took a group of men and women 61 to 77 years old and had them participate in a 3-day-per-week strength-training program. After only six months, the participants lost 6 pounds of fat, gained 4.5 pounds of muscle, and had a 12 percent increase in their metabolism. That translated to about 230 additional calories burned per day! An added benefit: The participants started participating in more leisure time activities on a regular basis.

2. Eat protein at every meal.
Protein “speeds up” your metabolism. Several research studies have demonstrated greater body-fat loss on a high-protein diet than on a high-carb diet. And in one study, healthy women eating a high protein meal increased their metabolic rate by an amazing 100 percent up to 2 ½ hours after eating!

3. Eat breakfast!
Skipping breakfast slows your metabolic rate, causes you to overeat at the next meal, and actually changes the hormonal response to lunch making it more likely that you’ll store calories as fat. It also impairs mental performance which can subtly zap your energy. Remember the old adage: For optimal health, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper!

4. Sleep more!
Undersleeping is chronic in our society, and it takes a huge toll, not the least of which is around our waistlines. Why? Because not sleeping enough stresses your body, and stress hormones make you fat. During deep restful sleep, important hormones are released that help you keep muscle and lose fat, and neurotransmitters that help you feel good are replenished. While you’re at it, stress management does wonders for the waistline and the metabolism!

5. Cut back on calories.
It’s hard to be a lean mean fighting machine if you’re rolling away from the table stuffed to the gills. Recent research showed that people eating lower calorie diets had biologically younger hearts! It doesn’t take much—300 or 400 less calories a day. Best things to cut out: The white stuff (refined grains, breads, pastas, and all the usual suspects that contain sugar).

There you have it! A metabolism makeover that’s sure to rev up your internal motor, make you feel better, and help you stay fit, trim and energetic for the rest of your life! 

By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS