Metabolism Over Drive
As most people have realized it is really hard to lose weight once you are over the age of 25. I had never had a problem with keeping thin until I got into my late 20’s. It was a surprise to me, I thought I would always have a thin looking body. I use to be one of those skeptical people that thought there was no such thing as a low metabolism. When I heard someone say they had difficulty keeping their weight off because of their low metabolism I would kind of laugh inside and think that they just ate too much and never exercised. I ended up eating my words over the last couple of years. I am positive that my metabolism has slowed down. Once I turned 27 I started to head down hill and fast. I had continued what I had always done, not eat really healthy but not eat too unhealthy and exercise every once in awhile. Now that I am 32 if I even look at some types of food wrong I put on weight. I ask myself why would my body betray me like this. The truth is it is a natural process. Are bodies just become less efficient in burning calories and holding onto muscle.
Exercise A Little More
As I have found out recently there is a way to slow this process down a little and even reverse things a little. First off, you are going to have to make sure to exercise and not only exercise but lift weights. Remember that old rule “if you don’t use it you lose it” well that is how are body works, especially as you age. Lifting weights will not only help increase muscle mass but will also help with bone density. On top of that if you increase your overall muscle mass you will also increase your metabolism. This is because your body has to burn more calories to support those muscles.
Eat A little Healthier
You are also going to have to cut back on what types of food you eat. I know this could seem impossible for some people, but if you do what I did and have a cheat rule it will make it possible. For every sweet I eat I have to do 50 push-ups or a 100 crunches that night before I go to sleep. This not only helps me to think twice before I go for seconds at the dessert bar but it also helps me burn off some of those extra calories I ate that night. I also give myself a free night every Saturday to eat what I want, but I still try to keep within reason.
Increase Protein
Another thing that has helped me is to increase the amount of protein I take in. If you are like me and can’t handle protein shakes or drinks then you are going to have to do it another way. I buy a bag of almonds each week that are non-salted that I eat through out the week. I chose non-salted because I have high blood pressure and extra salt will make you retain water thus increasing your blood pressure. I also make myself eat high protein meals as least 4 of the 7 days of the week. Most of the time I have chicken or fish. I takes more calories for your body to break down protein than it does carbs or fat.
Support From Supplements
The last trick that I have found to fight back my old mans body is use supplements. I know that there is a lot of taboo about using a supplement, but for me they have done wonders. My blood pressure has gone down since using supplements and it seems like I have twice as much energy. I use supplements to get some extra vitamins and minerals that I need and I also use some muscle enhancing supplements to increase my decreasing testosterone levels and some weight loss pills to increase metabolism. I rotate how often I use these supplements so that I don’t over do it. I usually try to take a least a two to three month break from all supplements other than the basic vitamins. I also try and rotate between using different supplements so that my body doesn’t get too use to them. I have a list of five different types of weight loss pills that I rotate between and 3 different muscle enhancement supplements. I also use a diuretic and detox pill that I use at the end of each cycle. Each cycle of pills I try to limit to a max of two months so that I don’t over do it and so that my body doesn’t start to neutralize what I am taking. With this system I have been able to lose the 45lbs that I have gained over the years and get back down to my early the weight I was in my twenties.