FACT: Exercise raises your metabolism.
 
FACT: The more muscle you have the more calories you burn.
 
FACT: As you get older your metabolism slows.  WRONG!

By the time they hit 40, my parents, resigned themselves to the fact that their metabolisms had slowed down because they were getting old and they were doomed to get heavier over the course of the years -- bless their hearts.  And guess what?  They did!  The most activity my dad will probably get today is moving from the bed to the couch.  We have tried to tell him he needs more! In fact, many members of my family became overweight with age.   But today, I’m 45, and I’m in the best shape of my life, and I’ll tell you why.  It all comes down to choices.  My family choses to settle into sedentary lifestyles and eat less than healthy cuisines too often.  Some of them have also developed related health problems along the way, like diabetes and heart conditions.

But the inevitable slowing of the metabolism with age is a myth, a convenient excuse passed down through the ages by the majority of people who got fat as they got older.  But don’t you believe it!

Connect the dots with me. As you get older you tend to work more and play less.  You become less active.  When you become less active you lose muscle.  When you lose muscle you burn fewer calories. When you burn fewer calories, and eat the same amount of food, you get fat!  See, you can’t blame your metabolism, it’s your fault!  You slowed your metabolism, it didn’t just automatically happen with age!

Oh, but you think you’re so smart.  You’ll just eat less to loose fat.  Uh-uh. When you eat less, your body goes into starvation/storage mode.  Your metabolism slows down more to conserve calories, and here’s the real kicker, your body holds onto fat and starts breaking down muscle for energy.  A serious design flaw; it should be the other way around, I know.

But you are not doomed!  I’m gonna tell you what ya gotta do to keep your metabolism high whether you’re 29 or **.

START resistance training! (i.e. the Barry’s Bootcamp program.)  Start with a challenging level and keep increasing the resistance as you get stronger. If you choose "Barbie weights," you won’t get results.

Get enough aerobic exercise. (i.e. the Barry’s Bootcamp program.)  It burns calories and raises your metabolism, and if you do it in the morning, you'll raise your metabolism all day.

Eat often! Be sure you are fueling your body with 4-6 small meals a day, every 3 to 4 hours – especially after a workout. Going too long between meals will only cause your body to lose lean muscle mass and worse - set you up to have cravings - causing you to overeat later in the day leading to fat storage.

Eat to Support your LEAN body! If you eat junk, you’ll have junk in your trunk; your metabolism will slow, your energy level will drop, and you will get fat. So, replace the crap with non processed food, like lean protein, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

DRINK WATER! Not beer.  Not soda. Drink those 8 8-ounce glasses of water every day. The energy burning process of metabolism needs water to work.

TAKE VITAMIN B.  If you’re suffering from low energy, you need to make sure that you are getting enough B vitamins. Vitamin B-12 in particular is one that is essential for energy.

PLAY MORE!  That’s an order!  Decide right now that you’re going to get out and exercise like you did when you were a kid – for the fun of it.  Ride a bike, run on the beach, go swimming, play tennis, rollerblade, go for a hike, whatever sounds like fun.  Do it for at least an hour, a few times a week.  Playing will clear your head, break the monotony of being a grown-up, and make you happier.