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25 Things You Did Today That Ruined Your Metabolism. Metabolism. It’s the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of living organisms. It’s such a big concept that you might believe you’re at the mercy of it. Well, you are! It’s thermodynamics at work, after all. But there are a bunch of simple — even easy — things you can do to boost your metabolism and make your body run more efficiently.

If you're chronically sleep deprived, don’t be surprised if you gain a few pounds without eating a morsel of extra food. For Jubilee, one of the best and cheapest ways to give your metabolism a jolt is to drink water (she suggests 20 to 32 ounces) shortly after waking. Plenty of studies indicate that caffeine can boost your metabolism in the AM. 4. Ideally, we sleep about eight hours for every 24. 5. “Hormones dictate how our body utilizes the energy we give it,” says Jubilee. 6. “Not eating enough calories in a day is an easy way to slow your metabolism,” says Santoro. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

What Is the 80/20 Rule? The 80/20 principle is no diet — it's a lifestyle change that can lead to sustainable weight loss. Folks who have suffered on rigid, limiting diets in the past find that this new rule teaches them about balance and moderation, a concept that never exists in a fad diet. When you practice 80/20, you have the space to go out socially and enjoy a meal (or a cocktail!)

With friends, but most importantly, it makes the whole clean-living thing feel doable for the long run. The breakdown is simple: 80 percent of the time you focus on eating clean, good-for-you foods, and 20 percent of the time you have the freedom to indulge as you please. Don't be concerned about the math, but it's simple: if you eat three square meals a day, three of those meals every week are your 20 percent cheat meals; if you eat five small meals a day, then seven of those small meals are up for grabs.

If you're worried about loosening the reins, look to Hollywood for 80/20 success stories. 40 Bad Habits That Give You Belly Fat. Habit: It’s that thing that we do when we’re not paying attention to what we’re doing. But what if you could change your habits so that you could start losing fat automatically — without ever having to think about it? New research says that you can — and it’s easier than you think. We develop habits because they save us time and energy (you don’t have to think about whether to make coffee in the morning, you just do it), and because they give us a sense of comfort and reward.

But neurons in the brain actually judge the rewards and costs of habits, which means they might be easier to change than you think, according to new research at MIT. Breaking a bad habit may be as simple as upping the penalty: Set aside money to buy yourself something special, then subtract from your little nest egg every time you break down and sneak a midnight snack. But which habits are costing you the most? Eat This, Not That! Eat This, Not That! 3. Eat This, Not That! 4. For better or … fatter? 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 12 Self-Defense Tips That Could Come In Handy One Day. Produce Panic! These 4 Veggies Have Been Proven to Cause Weight Gain. Corn was the biggest offender — people who ate it regularly gained an average of two pounds over four years.

(Photo: Getty Images) You’ve heard it many times before: To maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly and eat more fruits and vegetables. But new research has found that when it comes to weight loss, not all fruits and vegetables are created equal. A Harvard study of more than 133,000 people published in the journal PLOS Medicine found that some starchy fruits and vegetables can actually make people gain weight over time. For the study, researchers analyzed the changes that men and women in the U.S. made in their fruit and vegetable intake over 24 years, as reported in previously conducted dietary questionnaires and self-reported changes in weight.

Scientists specifically analyzed several four-year periods for their findings. But those who ate starchy vegetables like peas and potatoes actually gained weight. Vegetables that cause weight gain: Why? How Giving Up Refined Sugar Changed My Brain | Fast Company | Business + Innovation. Editor’s Note: This article is one of the top 10 Leadership stories of 2015.

See the full list here. I have a love-hate relationship with food. I love it; it generally hates me. Matter of fact, I love food so much that until a few years ago, I was extremely overweight. So overweight that I invented a piece of health tech to help me lose 80 pounds. It worked, and since then I’ve remained a healthy weight primarily by making sure I count my calories, don’t overeat, and get regular exercise. And for the most part, it’s been smooth sailing, and I even eat whatever I want most of the time: fish, chicken, pasta, diet soda, fruity yogurts, and a sweet snack once a day like a bag of M&M’s or a brownie. When I recently mentioned my weight loss and current daily dietary intake to a doctor friend of mine, I expected her to congratulate me on my success. And that’s exactly what I did. The Refined-Sugar-Free Diet Giving up refined sugar isn’t easy from a practical standpoint.

Intense? Improved Sleep. How to Lose Weight Without Trying. Losing weight takes a lot of sweat and discipline, but even when you're not powering through a treadmill interval workout or counting calories, there are a lot of simpler ways to see those pounds drop on the scale. Employing these 10 little tricks daily will help you lose weight, no gym or diet required. Always start a meal with a glass of water: You'll stay hydrated and feel fuller instantly, which can help keep you from overeating.Make a few simple swaps at every meal: Going for a vinaigrette dressing instead of a Green Goddess dressing at lunch can save you 80 calories, while opting for fresh fruit instead of dried can save you dozens as well. Get a list of simple swaps to save calories here.Have a piece of dark chocolate for dessert: Instead of opting for the cookies in the break room, quiet your sugar cravings with a piece of dark chocolate. Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / THEM TOO POPSUGAR, the #1 independent media and technology company for women.

Lose Belly Fat With Intervals. While focusing on crunches will strengthen your abs, it unfortunately will not get rid of the muffin top around your waist. To get rid of ab flab, it's essential to regularly include calorie-burning cardio in your routine. And not just any kind of cardio — it's important to focus on interval training; alternating between moderate and speedy bursts of exercise is the key. A study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that when compared to women who cycled at a consistent pace for 40 minutes, women who worked out for 20 minutes, but alternated between eight-second sprints and 12 seconds of low-intensity cycling, lost more belly fat after 15 weeks.

Work out half as long and lose more fat? Sounds good to me! You can do intervals with virtually any type of activity. Here are some ways to incorporate them into your routine: Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography. 13 Brilliant Weight Loss Tricks To Help You Wake Up Slimmer. Why Running Doesn't Help With Weight Loss. You started running months ago, yet every time you hop on the scale, you're let down by the results. What gives? While running does burn mega calories, here are some reasons you may not be seeing the weight-loss results you're after. Postrun Pig-Outs Burning tons of calories can cause a famished feeling afterward, but it's important to fuel wisely. Choose junk food as your recovery food and not only are you overdoing it on the calorie front, you'll be hungry again in the next hour.

You Don't Run Enough If you're running and not seeing results, take a look at your calendar. You're Burning Less Than You Think You just got back from a run, you're covered in sweat, and you're convinced you burned over 500 calories. Same Workout, Different Day If you found a great three-mile loop in your neighborhood, running it for a few weeks can help running become a habit. It's Not Just About the Scale Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography. 26 Packaged Snacks To Eat When You're Trying To Be Healthy. Here’s Everything You Need To Know To Actually Lose Body Fat. Here’s Everything You Need To Know To Actually Lose Body Fat. 29 Small Ways To Change Your Eating Habits Big Time. Beat Bloat with These 5 Yoga Poses. You know that “food hangover” feeling after a celebratory summer BBQ? When those super salty chips and salsa, a few margaritas, and a hot dog with all the fixings leave you puffy and feeling like crap?

Don’t ditch another day at the beach because of a little bloat; roll out a mat, and get twisted — sans the alcohol — with this quick yoga practice that will decrease bloat and get you surf and sand ready in five minutes flat. Practicing yoga improves digestion by increasing blood flow to your digestive tract, and twisting poses compress and massage your internal organs, ridding them of toxins that can cause constipation, gas, and bloating. Make sure to do these poses on an empty stomach, otherwise you’ll end up feeling worse. Knees Hugged to Chest This simple stretch, also known as “wind-relieving pose,” helps relieve bloating and gas pains, as it focuses on moving the energy in the body that maintains elimination.

Pre-Order 2015’s best Video Games Cracking the Alzheimer's Code Related: Here's a Full-Body Workout That Targets Your Legs. Take BuzzFeed's Get Fit Summer Challenge, Have The Best Summer Of Your Life. Reasons Why You May Not Be Losing Weight. 11 Ways To Build Muscle And Lose Fat Faster. Build Lean Muscle With Plyometrics — No Weights Required. Yuzu Kosho Oil: The 3-Ingredient Japanese Hot Sauce Recipe You’ll Want to Use for Everything. Photo credit: Alex Van Buren Living in New York City, I’m lucky enough to eat at great Asian restaurants often, and I love all of it: spicy mapo tofu at Chinese restaurants; phở and bun at Vietnamese eateries; khao soi at Thai joints. Each nation’s cuisine is often signified by the sauces adorning the table: soy and maybe black vinegar at a Chinese spot; hoisin for Vietnamese; maybe Sriracha at a Thai place. At Japanese restaurants, of course, we’re accustomed to seeing little pitchers of soy sauce.

But a couple weeks ago, while dining at a new izakaya — the sort of place that serves Japanese snacks to nosh on while drinking — I absentmindedly stuck a spoon into an innocuous-looking red sauce in a tin on the table, and drizzled it on some fried chicken. I was bowled over. The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card. TD Canada Trust Sponsored Meet yuzu kosho oil, the easy-to-make hot sauce that will have you obsessed. And it goes on everything: chicken? It’s also insanely addictive. 158 Pounds Lost: After Trying For A Decade, Diane Maintains Her Goal For More Than 16 Years. Realistic workouts were essential for this success story. (Photo: Diane Carbonell) Name: Diane CarbonellAge: 48Location: Memphis, TennesseeBefore: 305 lbs.After: 147 lbs.

What was the turning point that prompted you to lose weight? After giving birth to my third child, I realized while standing on my doctor’s scale that if I did not do something about my weight, I might not live to see my children grow up. When did you start trying to lose weight? I tried unsuccessfully to lose weight for 10 years. Related: 100 Days Without Processed Food: Could Your Family Do It?

How did you get started? I wanted something simple and sustainable. The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card. TD Canada Trust Sponsored What was your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge was breaking bad food habits that had been ingrained for years. Were there any times when you wanted to quit or give up? During the first three or four months I often wanted to quit. Related: The 10 Foods You Need to Lose Weight in 2015. 11 Moves For Incredible Abs.

29 Smart Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Out. 5 Teas That Melt Fat. Think of your body as teapot on the stove and the water inside as your belly fat. Chances are the pot is sitting there over a low flame, not doing much of anything. The water inside may be warm, but it’s not boiling. If you want the pot to whistle—and attract a few whistles yourself—you need to crank up the heat. Well, that’s exactly what will happen if you take that teapot from metaphor to reality. Why not give your body every advantage it can get in the battle against fat? White Tea: Breaks down stored fat We like: Twinings, The Republic of Tea, Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Think of white tea as Spanx in a cup. Barberry: Blocks fat cells from growing We like: TerraVita, TeaHaven The stem, fruit and root bark of the barberry shrub contains berberine–a powerful, naturally occurring, fat-frying chemical. Pu-erh Tea: Reduces belly flab We like: Numi Organic Tea, Uncle Lee’s Tea Oolong Tea: Burns a pound a week We like: Bigelow, Stash Rooibos: Cuts new fat cell growth.

This is What Happens When You Stop Exercising. Ever wonder what would happen if you just… stopped working out? (Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images) Everwonder what would happen if you stopped working out? A new study on identical twins published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise explores exactly that, and the results are dramatic. Related: The Only 8 Moves You Need to Be Fit In the study, Finnish researchers looked at 10 pairs of identical twin men. Each set of twins was in their mid-30s, and each had been brought up in the same household. Magnificent mansions with tales to tell The results revealed big differences between each twin.

Related: 4 Easy Tips for Getting Back in Shape The study was small, but the takeaway is clear: Quitting your fitness routine can trigger body and brain changes that mess with your cardio fitness and strength and set you up for chronic conditions such as diabetes, says Jordan Metzl, M.D., sports medicine physician and author of The Exercise Cure. Together, Quebec stands strong. These 12 Moves Will Get You Washboard Abs - We Show You How! 11 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Belly Fat. Getting rid of your belly bulge is important for more than just vanity’s sake.

Excess abdominal fat-particularly visceral fat, the kind that surrounds your organs and puffs your stomach into a “beer gut”-is a predictor of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and some cancers. If diet and exercise haven’t done much to reduce your pooch, then your hormones, your age and other genetic factors may be the reason why.

Read on for 11 possible reasons why your belly fat won’t budge. Health.com: 24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises (No Crunches!) You’re getting older As you get older, your body changes how it gains and loses weight. Both men and women experience a declining metabolic rate, or the number of calories the body needs to function normally. On top of that, women have to deal with menopause. You’re doing the wrong workout A daily run or Spin class is great for your heart, but cardio workouts alone won’t do much for your waist. Health.com: 10 Reasons to Give Up Diet Soda. The Only 12 Abs Exercises You Need To Know. This Happy Hour Fave Could Shrink Fat Cells. Looking to lose a few pounds? Red wine — or plain ol’ non-alcoholic red grapes — should do the trick.

(Photo: Getty Images) A new study out by researchers at Oregon State University found that when exposed to lab-grown human liver cells, the ellagic acid found in dark red Muscadine grapes shrunk existing fat cells and prevented new fat cells from growing. The chemical compounds found in grapes also increased the metabolic function of the liver. Ellagic acid is an anti-oxidant also found in raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, and pomegranates and has also been shown to slow tumor growth and kill cancer cells in cancer patients.

Related: 4 Ways To Reap Red Wine’s Benefits — Without Drinking It “If we could develop a dietary strategy for reducing the harmful accumulation of fat in the liver, using common foods like grapes that would be good news,” says Neil Shay, PhD, a professor of food science technology at Oregon State University and the study’s lead author. 51 Tips To Start Getting In Shape From People Who Have Been There. Comfort Foods for Weight Loss. Fat-Burning Body Weight Exercises - Diet Fitness - Health.com Video. Take BuzzFeed’s 14-Day Butt And Core Challenge. Best Spices For Weight Loss. How To Tame Your Sweet Tooth In 3 Steps. The 50 Best Snacks for Weight Loss | Eat This Not That. 11 Simple Snacks Weight-Loss Experts Swear By. 5 Steps To Stronger, Leaner Arms. 14 Moves to Build the Strength and Stamina of an MMA Fighter. The 7 Hardest Ab Exercises. Here's What Real Healthy People Actually Snack On. 15 Easy And Portable Office Lunches.

6 Exercises You're Doing Wrong—and How to Get 'Em Right | Women's Health Magazine. 3 Crunch Variations You've Never Tried For Sculpted Abs. The Best 7 Strength Exercises You're Not Doing. How Do I Get a Flat, Rock-Hard Mid-Section? | Don Saladino. 15 Foods You Should Keep Stocked in Your Fridge (According To Nutrition Experts) How To Lose 85 Pounds, One Food At a Time. These 24 Charts Are All You Need To Eat Healthy This Year. These 12 Exercises Will Change Your Life. How to Lose Belly Fat When Running.