Essentially, your bodies’ metabolism is asking you all day to “light my fire and keep it burning!” I love to compare our metabolism to a fire in the fireplace.

Just what is metabolism? The textbook definition says “Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions in the body.” In fact, metabolism is calculated from resting (calories burned at rest), the exercise and non-exercise component and the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), which means the calories used in digestion, absorption and distribution of nutrients.

I remember the days of yesteryear, when we thought that it was much better for “weight loss” to never start the fire at all until the early afternoon. In this way, we would eat fewer calories and lose more weight.

Nowadays, we know better, yet I still speak with people that don’t eat very often. Here are some of the reasons I have heard; “I am not hungry in the morning; I only eat 2 meals a day; I am trying to lose weight or I am too busy.”

When we don’t eat, basically the fire of metabolism grows dimmer and eventually goes out. Of course, the resting and movement components are still working, yet the benefit from TEF has died out.

Ways to “speed up metabolism” are maintaining or building more highly metabolic tissue (muscle), moving and exercising more and eating normal size meals on a regular basis or smaller meals more often.

For instant, during our sleeping hours, we are basically fasting. In order to get the day going and our metabolisms fired up, we need to consume food in the morning.

TEF is about 10% of your total metabolic rate.  While this may not seem like much, it can make a difference in the rate at which you burn calories all day, especially when combined with adding in building muscle and moving more.

Take advantage of that extra burn and don’t let your fire go out. Feed it first thing in the morning, adding logs to the fire all day and keep the food coming.