10 Things That Slow Your Metabolism

Stop these habits now to boost your calorie-burning potential

Need another reason to love your body? It burns calories all by itself—as long as you don't get in the way. See, every cell in your body plays a role in energy metabolism—the process of turning the food you eat into energy that keeps your heart beating, lungs pumping, and muscles moving. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. And just like there are ways to speed it up—by working out, for instance—certain habits can hit the brakes on your natural calorie-churning engine.

Here are 10 things to avoid in order to keep your metabolism humming.

A Weird Eating Schedule

In a 2012 Hebrew University study, mice fed high fat foods sporadically gained more weight than mice that ate a similar diet on a regular schedule. Researchers suspect that eating at the same times every day trains the body to burn more calories between meals.

Pesticides in Produce

Organochlorines (chemicals in pesticides) can interfere with your body's energy-burning process and make it harder to lose weight, according to a Canadian study. Researchers found that dieters who ate the most toxins experienced a greater-than-normal dip in metabolism and had a harder time losing weight.

The fix: Splurge for the organic versions 

Skimping on Sleep

A 2012 study found that people who sleep less move less the next day, which means they burn fewer calories. But it gets worse: Sleep deprivation actually reduces the amount of energy your body uses at rest, according to the German and Swedish researchers.

Your Period

You lose iron during your period every month, and iron helps carry oxygen to your muscles. If your iron levels run too low, your muscles don't get enough O2, your energy plummets, and your metabolism sputters, says Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., author of Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever.

The fix: Stock up on iron-fortified cereals, beans, and dark leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, and broccoli.

Eating Too Little

When you skimp on calories, your body switches into starvation mode, slowing your metabolic rate to conserve the fuel it's got.

Sitting Too Long

It takes only 20 minutes in any fixed position to inhibit your metabolism, according to Carrie Schmitz, an ergonomic research manager for Ergotron.

Jet Lag

Your internal clock directly controls the part of your cells that keeps your metabolism chugging along. But when you disrupt your so-called circadian rhythm—by crossing time zones, for instance—your cells don't function the way they should and your metabolism suffers, according to researchers at the Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism at University of California - Irvine.

Not Getting Enough Calcium

Another reason to drink your milk: Calcium plays a key role in regulating your fat metabolism, which determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat. A diet that's high in calcium could help you burn more fat, according to research conducted at the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Dehydration

All of your body's cellular processes, including metabolism, depend on water. If you're dehydrated, you could burn up to 2 percent fewer calories, according to researchers at the University of Utah.

Skipping Breakfast

When you miss breakfast, you don't just set yourself up to overeat at lunch. You actually tell your body to conserve energy—which means it burns calories more slowly. That's one reason a study from the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who skip a morning meal were 4.5 times more likely to be obese.

5:45am Fit Camp Schedule

The last week of October is here let finish this month strong,

Tuesday- Heavy Back and Biceps - DB, Steps and Mats
Wednesday- Full Body- TABATA- Light DB, Mats
Thursday- Heavy Chest and Triceps - DB, Stability Balls and Mats
Friday- Full Body - HIIT - Light DB, Steps and Mats

But of course I reserve the write to change the above schedule at any time.
In Health
Arden

Thanks to all who have served and are serving!

Some Motivation!

The 7 Cheapest Ways to Eat Healthy

Think your groceries are getting too expensive? Last winter, residents of a remote Canadian village were paying $28 for a head of cabbage and $65 for a pound of chicken.  It's unlikely such absurd food prices will trickle south, but they are creeping up—and when food prices rise, diets typically tank. That's ironic, too, because some of the healthiest foods in the world are also among the cheapest. Even eating organic isn't all that much more expensive, when you stick with basics and get creative with your cooking.  So put down the 99-cent can of Beefaroni and grab one of these cheaper, healthier alternatives:

1) Oats

Cost: about $3 pound

Benefit: Oats are rich in avenanthramide, an antioxidant that protects the heart. Other oat accolades? The super food lowers cholesterol and has been shown to possess disease-zapping antimicrobial activity, making organic oatmeal the perfect affordable breakfast item for cold and flu season.

2) Dry beans

Cost: about $2 per pound, depending on the variety

Benefit: Forget expensive steak and sausage. Dry beans and dry lentils pack a healthy low-fat, plant-based protein punch. Known as a "perfect food," just one cooked cupful can provide as much as 17 grams of fiber. Beans are also loaded with protein and dozens of key nutrients, including a few most people fall short on—calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Studies tie beans to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and colon cancers. Soak beans overnight and rinse them well to eliminate most of the flatulence-causing compounds.

3) Garlic

Cost: $1 per bulb

Benefit: This onion relative contains more than 70 active phytochemicals, including allicin, which studies show may decrease high blood pressure by as much as 30 points. High consumption of garlic lowered rates of ovarian, colorectal, and other cancers, according to a research review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. To boost garlic's health effects, be sure to crush the cloves and let them stand for up to 30 minutes before heating them. Extend the life of your garlic by storing it in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

4) Cayenne pepper

Cost: about $3 per jar

Benefit: If you can handle the heat, this powerhouse pepper is worth your while. The heat in cayenne peppers come from a phytochemical called capsaicin, which can help clear congestion, fight cholesterol, melt away body fat, and jump-start your metabolism. Sprinkle it over veggies and beans to sneak it into your diet—just a half a teaspoon is all you need.

5) Celery

Cost: $1.99 per bunch

Benefit: Eating four sticks of celery a day can produce modest reductions in blood pressure, thanks to the vegetable's rich supply of phthalides, phytochemicals linked to cardiovascular health. Single? Celery is loaded with androstenone and androstenol, pheromones that help attract women.

6) Tomatoes

Cost: $1.50 per pound

Benefit: Tomatoes are our most common source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease and breast cancer. Stock up at farmer's markets or from your own garden while you can. Canned tomatoes (a cheaper option when fresh tomatoes are out of season) can expose you to the harmful plastic chemical BPA, which is used in the epoxy coatings that line cans. When fresh tomatoes aren't available, or aren't good, look for jarred or boxed varieties.

7) Onions

Cost: $2.99 per two-pound bag

Benefit: This bulb boasts far-reaching health benefits, including immunity-boosting compounds that can help prevent everything from the common cold to cancer. Onions are also rich in quercetin, a flavonoid shown to keep your blood healthy. It's also a must-have for natural allergy prevention. Tip: Store your onions somewhere cool and dry, such as a dark cabinet or unused closet, and that two-pound bag will last for months.

More Motivation

Motivation

What an inspiration

11 Foods That Fight Fat

Add these tasty picks to your diet and get ready to drop some serious weight

Eat up, slim down

We've identified our favorite healthy foods that not only help you lose weight—they also contain the nutrients you need to fend off age-related ills. Add these foods to your daily diet and you can shed about 10 pounds over the course of a year!

Water

A California study of 240 women found that dieters who replaced their sweetened drinks with water lost an average of 3 pounds more a year than those who didn’t. Subjects who sipped more than 4 cups of water a day lost 2 additional pounds, compared with those who drank less. Plus, the phosphoric acid in soda may contribute to bone loss—and osteoporosis—by changing the acid balance in your blood.

High-fiber granola bars

A small British study found that women who eat a fiber-rich, high-carb breakfast burn twice as much fat during workouts later in the day as those who eat more refined (lower-fiber) foods. Refined carbs spike your insulin levels, which limits your body’s ability to use fat as fuel, explains Lisa Dorfman, RD, adjunct professor at the University of Miami.

Try a granola bar with at least 4 g of fiber instead of the typical bar that contains just a single gram.

Ground flaxseed

Flaxseed is rich in fiber and healthy fats, which help stabilize blood sugar, so you’re less likely to binge. Some research suggests flax can also help soothe symptoms of hormone swings because it’s high in plant estrogens. 

Choose ground flaxseed, as it's easier to digest. Sprinkle it over cereals, soups, or salads, or add it to smoothies. 

Walnuts

Instead of snacking on some chips, open up a bag of nuts: Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may keep you feeling fuller longer.

In a 1-year study of people with diabetes who were following a low-fat diet, Australian researchers discovered that those who included 8 to 10 walnuts a day lost more weight and body fat.

Hot sauce

Forget bland condiments: if you want to burn fat, spice things up.

In a study of 36 men and women, Australian researchers found that following a spicy meal, levels of insulin—the hormone that triggers body fat storage—were lowered by as much as 32%. One theory: capsaicin, the chemical that gives chiles their fire, may improve the body’s ability to clear insulin from the bloodstream after you eat, so you’re more likely to burn fat following a meal spiked with chile peppers than after one that isn’t packing heat. 

Cinnamon

Sweeten your oatmeal or frothy coffee drinks with this sweet spice instead of sugar (which has 16 calories per teaspoon) and you can save a couple hundred calories a week, enough to shed 2 to 3 pounds in a year without doing anything else.

You’ll also be doing your heart a favor as protective estrogen levels decline: Pakistani researchers found that 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day could lower heart-damaging cholesterol by 18% and triglycerides by 30%.

Salmon

Just 3 ounces of canned salmon delivers 530 IU (more than the Daily Value) for vitamin D and 181 mg of calcium, a power-packed nutritional combination that may be just what your waistline needs as you get older.

In a 7-year study of more than 36,000 women ages 50 to 79, researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that those who took both calcium and vitamin D supplements gained less weight after menopause than those who took a placebo.

Other research shows that without enough vitamin D, our appetite-regulating hormone leptin can’t do its job.

Romaine lettuce

Filling up with a leafy green can trim the overall number of calories you eat by 10%; 2 cups of romaine rack up half your daily fill of vitamin A, plus 113% of bone-building vitamin K.

Bonus: leafy green vegetables can protect against lung cancer. Adults who ate at least one portion per day were half as likely to develop lung cancer as people who'd eaten them fewer than five times per week, according to a Spanish study. 

Grapefruit

When volunteers ate half a grapefruit before every meal in a University of Arizona study, they shaved an inch off their waists, thanks to naringenin, which experts say may help burn fat.

Grapefruit is also a terrific source of vitamins A and B5, potassium, folate, and fiber, as well as cancer-fiighting lycopene. 

Edamame

Packed with an intelligent combo of protein, and healthy fat, this soy snack is guaranteed to keep you full and satisfied for hours. In just a half-cup serving, you get as much fiber as you would if you ate four slices of whole-wheat bread, says Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, a nutrition writer for WebMD.

Soy boasts its own benefits, too. A study from the Chinese University of Hong Kong finds the isoflavones in soy protein can reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol, and raise HDL "good" cholesterol. Isoflavones have also been shown to fight against cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Dark chocolate chips

These flavor bombs put the brakes on a craving. The little pieces fool you into thinking you're getting more, helping you eat less, finds new research.

As if that weren't enough, dark chocolate is brimming with healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, has fewer carbs, sugar and more iron and fiber than it's milkier counterpart. Not that you needed an excuse to indulge. Just remember to buy brands with high cacao percentages (70% or more) to cut down on sugar.

Think before you Eat!

Words of Wisdom from Bruce Lee

How bad do you want it?

I often hear in my classes or in personal training someone say "this is hard" or " this is heavy".
Few things to remember:
1) If it was easy- everyone would do it
2) We lift weights not lites
3) You will only get out of it what you put into it
4) Fitness takes lots of HARD work and SWEAT
5) Its all worth it

This couple are a great inspiration, they have lost over 500 pounds over the past 2 years.

This is just truly inspirational! It just TAKES TIME...Do NOT give up if you're not seeing rapid results. 

Keep going, set goals, work out and above all eat correctly.  Working out is the easy part, Eating is the hard part.

First week of October 5:45am FIT Camp

Here we go the start of another new month-

Tuesday - Full Body Cardio - Steps, risers, mats, jump rope

Wednesday - Back and Biceps - Fast and Furious - steps, risers, mat, DB

Thursday - Legs - work them till we can't walk - steps, risers, mat and DB

Friday - Chest and Triceps - Stability Ball, mat, DB

Let's hit it hard and get stronger!!

Stop Overeating, Stat!

Closing your menu after ordering food can make you more satisfied with the grub you choose, says a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

British researchers examined a concept called “choice closure,” which happens when you physically close something (like a menu) after making a decision. In a similar study, some people put a transparent lid on a tray of chocolates after picking one to eat, while others didn’t shut the tray after choosing. Those who covered up the candies were more satisfied with their decisions, according to the study.

Researchers say the act of closure can subconsciously trigger a sense of completion and confidence. “If you’re happy with your [first] choice, then you’re less likely to be tempted to have a second one,” explains study coauthor David Faro, Ph.D., an assistant marketing professor at the London Business School.

Try this tip: Next time you’re eating at a buffet with endless options, put your first helping in a take-home box with a lid instead of an open plate. Closing the lid when you’re finished will help you avoid the temptation to grab seconds and thirds, says study coauthor Yangjie Gu, Ph.D.