Weight loss programs continue to be at the forefront of everyday health news. Fad diets replace each other almost as quickly as they are created. Doctors and health advisors are constantly recommending strategies for improved nutrition and caloric control. While most diets and nutritional strategies hold some value to the average person, the true formula for weight control can be found in the body's natural process of metabolism. In fact, diets themselves are essentially formats for controlling metabolism. The reality of dieting is that you are likely to find just as much success by increasing your metabolism. This can be done by implementing some simple and natural lifestyle choices.

Your basal metabolic rate is the number of calories your body burns in an average day. This rate is influenced by such variables as your age, gender, percentage of fat, and amount of daily exercise. While some of these variables cannot be manipulated, it is rather easy to control others. By targeting your dietary intake and amount of exercise, anyone can increase their metabolism. As the metabolic rate is increased, a higher number of calories are burned each day. Combine this with a decrease in calorie consumption and you have a successful weight loss strategy. The best part is you can achieve this without spending $25 on the next fad diet book!

The easiest part of the metabolism formula to control is your dietary intake. The important thing to remember when preparing food is that calories count. Every calorie you consume beyond your basal metabolic rate will be stored as fat. Thus, it is important to limit your calories to only the essentials. In addition to watching your calories, there are also certain foods that increase metabolism. Spices and peppers help you burn calories by requiring your body to decrease its core temperature. Ice water accomplishes the same thing, requiring an increase in temperature. Most berries stimulate detoxification activity which also burns additional calories. Implementing these foods into your diet can help your food work for you.

Exercise is the other controllable variable of the metabolism formula. It also seems to be the most challenging for people to participate in regularly. If your goal is to lose only a couple of pounds, it may be easier to maintain a reasonable diet, and simply add a few hours of exercise to your weekly regimen. No matter how much weight you aim to lose, exercise provides the most immediate impact on your metabolism. Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be successful. For example, walking four days a week for just one hour can burn over a thousand calories. This is the equivalent of two moderate meals! You can imagine how quickly these calories add up over multiple months.

Metabolism is not a complicated science. By researching your basal metabolic rate you can determine how many calories you are likely to burn in a day. After you have this information, calculate how many calories you consume on average. These two numbers can tell you if you are working ahead or behind your metabolic rate. If you find out you are behind, steps can be taken to decrease your caloric intake, or increase your metabolic rate through exercise. Vegetables, spicy foods, and ice water are all examples of low calorie options that promote an increase in metabolism. Complimenting a sensible diet with a light exercise regimen is an ideal way to control your metabolism so that it works for you. No matter how you approach it, controlling your metabolism is a sure fire way to manage a healthy lifestyle.

You can find more strategies for controlling metabolism by visiting Turbo Metabolism.