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There are a lot of people who would do almost anything to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables the body to maintain the burning of fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of physical exercise. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories in order that the body can function.

There are many factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the percentage of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, levels of tension, personal diet and levels of exercise. Metabolic rate is reduced due to the following: loss of muscle tissue because not enough physical activity is being done, the tendency of the body to recycle its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of exercise that comes naturally with getting older.

Here are several ways to fire up one's metabolism:

1. Develop a fit and healthy body. It is a natural process that metabolism decreases as part of getting older, but it is possible to beat the effects. The percentage of muscle tissue that a person has is a very strong determinant in their ability to burn calories and lose weight. So it is obvious that building muscle is essential. Muscles should be developed by a regular exercise program, preferably with weights. Do light exercises in between the full workouts. Everyday tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can reduce calories. The key is to match the food consumption to the amount of calories that you burn off.

Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

To build up muscle -Gradually add to the number of repetitions of a particular exercise. -Increase the level of resistance -Use advance exercise techniques if this is possible. You may need to ask a professional trainer

For cardiovascular exercise -Add rest periods between exercises -Perform cross-training and combine the exercises - Raise resistance and speed

2. Eat breakfast. Many people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, it has been found that those people who eat a meal at the start of the day are thinner than the ones who do not. The bodies metabolism can be considerably slower if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.

3. Don't eat sugar. Sugar is used by the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, regular exercising 2-3 times a week will help to stabilize blood sugar levels.

4. Never skip meals. Although it would appear to be an obvious fact that missing a meal will help you lose weight, but this is not true. The problem with skipping a meal is that it slows down your metabolism. In addition, missing a meal will make you more likely to snack between meals.

5. Eat more curry. It may come as a surprise that eating can be good for you and help lower your weight! Any food that contains peppers can increase the metabolic rate. Higher metabolism means that the body can burn fat faster.

6. Sleep more. Studies have proved that people who do not get enough sleep are at the greatest risk of gaining weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of sleep.

7. Drink more water. Toxic by-products are produced whenever the body burns fat. Water flushes out these toxins that are produced. is a fact that, most of the bodily functions involves water, and lack of water results in an imbalance of the body's functions, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

8. Eat less food. Ideally you should consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart. Eating less food is a key part of reducing your overall calorie count.

9. Eat Energy Foods. Include more energy foods in your daily diet. These energy foods include such items as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.

10. Carefully plan your meals. Make sure in advance that you prepare the right amount of food that you have scheduled for each of your meals. Do not make the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.

11. Ditch the stress! Stress, whether it is physical or emotional stress, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases body's metabolic rate. Taking life easy will reduce the amount of cortisol in your body and so keep up your metabolic rate. Another problem with stress is that people tend to eat more when stressed.

12. Drink green tea. Green tea can be used as a substitute for coffee. Green tea has the ability to stimulate your metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.

All that you need to achieve your desired weight loss is the determination and patience required to stabilize your metabolic level, which is so important in weight loss. If you can stabalise your metabolism then you can lose weight. The real key to successful weight loss is not just eating right and exercising, but changing your way of life.

Roger Titley is the webmaster of the successful weight loss web site www.BiggestLoserPlan.com which is designed to help anyone lose weight and become the person that they want to be.