Shelley Pennoyer   Shelley's Belfry
Remember when you were a teenager and you could eat anything you wanted without gaining weight? And even if you did need to drop a few pounds, it was relatively easy. Chances are slim you're enjoying that luxury now. Often when women reach their 30's or 40's, they begin gaining weight even if they're being careful about that they eat.

What gives? Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and elsewhere has shown that after age 30, our metabolisms slow down dramatically every year. The result: according to the North American Menopause Society, even calorie conscious women can be saddled with a 43% increase in weight by their 59th birthday. But you don't have to be one of them. Breakthrough studies are now proving that you can reset your metabolism so you store fat more slowly, release it more readily and burn it more quickly-just like you did when you were younger.

Here's how: Eat more, not less. Your diet may be sabotaging your weight loss. Research from the University of California and elsewhere has shown that crash diets, of less than 1,000 calories a day, actually slow metabolism down. Constant hunger tells your body you're entering a period of famine. So while you're struggling to lose weight, your body's struggling equally hard to conserve every calorie it can. Eat six small, balanced meals a day and make sure three of them include about two ounces of protein. Eating smaller more frequent meals maximizes calorie-burning throughout the day, so does getting enough protein.

Firm things up. Building muscle is hot these days, 45 million Americans have taken up strength-training in recent years. In one study, strength-training for just 20 minutes boosted metabolism by an amazing 73% for several hours. The beauty of building muscle is that you raise your body's resting metabolic rate, so you burn more calories whether you're exercising or just sitting on your sofa.
Nov 3rd 2008 12:46