Boost Your Metabolism and Burn More Belly Fat

One of the keys to burning belly fat is a strong metabolism. Unfortunately, as we get older our metabolisms slow down significantly, often by as much as 25 to 30 percent! Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to give your body's natural fat-burning process a kick start... and you don't need to rely on "fat burners," stimulant-based weight loss pills, or any other form of "metabolism-boosting" product (the majority of them have little or no real effect anyway).

8 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism Naturally and Burn More Belly Fat

Never skip breakfast - If you don't eat in the morning, after having gone several hours without food during the night, your body goes into "starvation mode." This is very bad news for your metabolism because it means that your body will try to save energy and burn fewer calories. It does that by slowing down its metabolism. It's best to try to eat a large and balanced breakfast that includes lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and fresh fruit.

Eat 4-6 small, healthy meals per day - Every time you consume food, your body has to speed up its metabolic processes in order to digest and process the calories in the food. By eating frequently (about every 2-3 hours) you'll keep your metabolism in high-gear and keep your body burning belly fat. Just be sure to choose meals and snacks that contain decent amounts of protein, small amounts of good fats, and/or some healthy carbohydrates (especially fruits, vegetables, and whole grains).

Focus on protein - Lean protein is a "hot burning" food, meaning that your body really has to speed up its metabolism in order to digest it... more so than for fats and carbohydrates. Protein also contains amino acids, which are absolutely necessary for your body to build muscle tissue... and the more muscle you have the stronger your metabolism is going to be.

Move more and take the hard way - Whenever possible, take the "hard way" when it comes to getting places. Park farther from the entrances of buildings. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Take short walks. Never sit or stand in one place at a time for more than an hour. The bottom line: squeeze as much activity into your everyday activities as possible. Not only will this keep your metabolism up, but you'll also get fitter and lose more belly fat in less time.

Add some muscle - In order to permanently boost your metabolism you need to build more muscle. Muscle tissue requires more calories just to maintain itself, so you burn more fat and calories even when you're sleeping. 2 or 3 times per week do some form of resistance/strength training using weights, resistance bands, or just your own bodyweight. Shorter, more intense full-body strength training workouts tend to produce the fastest results because they cause your body to produce chemicals that build muscle while burning abdominal fat at the same time.

Get your fruits and veggies - You should try to eat several large servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. They're packed with the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are necessary for an optimized metabolism. If you can't eat at least 5 large servings per day be sure to take a good multivitamin/multimineral supplement every morning.

Drink water all day long - If your body is even slightly dehydrated, it won't burn calories and fat as efficiently as possible. You also won't have as much energy as you should. Yet most people are dehydrated to some degrees most of the time. For maximum weight loss success try to drink at least 8 large glasses of water per day. Try keeping a large bottle of water with you and sip from it all day. Avoid substances that dehydrate you, especially caffeine and alcohol.

Get enough sleep - Scientific research has shown that people who don't get enough sleep usually have impaired (slow) metabolisms and tend to store more of their fat in their stomachs. Needless to say, getting sufficient sleep is vital in order to lose belly fat, have plenty of energy, and feel your best. Most people need 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.