Speeding up the metabolism

Hi Amie

Eating more isn't really the key (unless you've really been starving
yourself), you need to be eating more OFTEN. I tend to go for 6
smaller meals a day, spaced out around every 3 hours (7am, 10am, 1pm,
4pm, 7pm,10pm as a rough idea). Make sure it's a balanced intake (not
going for low-carb fad diets or whatever). And try to take a protein
supplement or include high-protein foods (chicken, tuna, eggs etc) a
couple of times a day - my final food intake of the day is usually a
whey protein drink. This will ensure your muscles are adequately
fuelled.

The theory behind eating more frequently is that it helps smooth out
the metabolic highs and lows involved with consuming 3 large meals.
Your metabolism increases by around 20% for 2-3 hours following eating
- so increasing the number of meals per day lifts your average rate.

It will also help to exercise first thing in the morning before food.
This will raise your metabolic rate throughout the day, and will
contribute most effectively to burning fat. And don't concentrate
solely on aerobic exercise - include a couple of intensive weight
training sessions per week to strengthen and develop your muscle tone.
On an average week, I run twice, cycle twice, swim once, do two weights
sessions and do a couple of 'recreational' sports (usually football and
tennis). I'm not an active triathlon-er yet but hope to be soon.

This is the regime I use, and it works great for me. This time last
year I weighed 14st 9lbs, I now weigh 12st 7lbs (I'm 6'0''😉 but have
greatly increased my muscle tone and endurance capability.

Hope that helps!
Adrian

Thanks. I always have eaten 5-6 smaller meals a day, however, I really
wasn't eating enough. I wasn't starving myself, but also not eating
enough to support training, more like, I was running 35-45 miles a
week, cycling over 100 miles a week, swimming 2-3 thousand meters a
week, weight training, and eating like 1500-1700 calories a day. Long
term that can do a lot of damage.

Eating more speeds up your metabolism but I know it can take some time.
I do lift weights but have to be careful, I'm a mesomorph and build
muscle like craz. Too much of any sort of weight (fat OR lean) does not
help triathlon times go down!

Amie wrote:
<<SNIP>>

Quoted message said:

Eating more speeds up your metabolism but I know it can take some time.
I do lift weights but have to be careful, I'm a mesomorph and build
muscle like craz. Too much of any sort of weight (fat OR lean) does not
help triathlon times go down!

I can relate to this. I love the sport, but am also poorly engineered
for it.

I am six feet. Most people guess my weight at 180-to-190 pounds. I
*actually* weight 235. Even allowing for a margin of "politeness"
error, it gives you an idea of how solid I am.

Fortunately, I was able to achieve most of my tri-goals (sub-2hour
Olympic Distance, IMH/IMLP/GFT Finish, etc.) while I was in my spindly
mid-twenties.

Lately, my knees bark at me more than they used to and my twenty-year
triathlon career is probably approaching twighlight. This is certainly
more true of ultras.

The hardest part for me is redfining my definition of being "fit". For
now, I still get a kick out raising my game in hoops and karate.

rsquared

Well, as for me, I don't know that I am poorly engineered for it,
although I'm not an ectomorph, I'm not big. When I consider myself "out
of shape", I generally mean I have bodyfat at 19-20% which is still
below average for a female (in season it's around 15.5%, with weight in
the midrange for my height). So it's all relative I guess...

I am in my early 30's and consider myself more fit than I was in my
20's, although I've been an avid exerciser my whole life, and I guess I
just haven't gotten to the part where I feel I need to re-define much.
I don't go out and party as I did in my 20s, the desre isn't there, but
actually I think my training has benefited from that!