Burn fat all year long

updated 12:48 p.m. ET Jan. 8, 2007

You don't need to eat like a child to recapture the metabolism of your youth. "You can rev up your metabolic engine without changing how much you eat," says Mark Hyman, M.D., author of Ultra-metabolism. Combined with an interval workout, these simple tips will have your body burning calories all day long — and all night.

• Up your protein intake. A British study found that participants who increased the percentage of protein-based calories in their diets burned 71 more calories a day (that's 7.4 pounds a year) than those on low-protein diets. "Protein burns hotter than other food sources," says Dr. Hyman. Jump-start your metabolism early with two scrambled eggs or a few slices of lean turkey bacon for breakfast, then keep it up throughout the day with at least one protein-packed snack, such as almonds or cheese, and lunch and dinner built around legumes, lean meats, tuna, or salmon.
• Eat more often. Skipping meals lets your body's calorie-burning furnace go cold, says Dr. Hyman. Spread out mini-meals throughout the day. Try a cup of yogurt with fresh fruit or almonds at 10:30 a.m., and a hard-boiled egg or hummus with vegetables around 3 p.m.
• Go green. Catechins, the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, are known to increase metabolism. In a 12-week double-blind study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants who consumed 690 milligrams of catechins from green tea daily had significantly lower body-mass indexes and smaller waist measurements than those in the control group. Skip the Lipton and steep 1 teaspoon of loose green-tea leaves (we like Dragon Pearl from Rishi) in hot water for 4 minutes.

Eat breakfast every day
Begin by proving that you have time for it. This weekend, time how long it takes you to nuke a bowl of instant oatmeal and eat it. We're betting less than 5 minutes, which isn't long enough to make you late for work.

Then remind yourself why it's so crucial. "Not eating breakfast may reduce your metabolic rate by 10 percent," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., M.P.H., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh medical center. This in turn increases your risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

"Keep a breakfast bar by your bed, or pour dry oatmeal or cereal in a bowl the night before," Bonci suggests. Leave a bowl of fruit or bags of trail mix near your front door so you can grab them in a hurry.

Wanna lose 40 pounds?
You want to drop big weight? Forget about it. No, really — that's the crucial tip. Put the end goal out of the picture and narrow your focus to the day at hand. Bob Harper, a trainer on the NBC TV show "The Biggest Loser," says, "Ask yourself, Did I get my workout in today? Did I make the right food choices? Then go through it again tomorrow, always with an eye on improving."

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Here are Harper's top five real-world solutions. Becoming fat is a big piece of cake. Slimming down is not.

1. Get over gym-timidation. The muscleheads at the squat rack aren't judging you. "If they see someone out of shape trying their hardest to change, they'll do what they can to help you," says Harper. So ask for a spot, or even some guidance. Just because those guys are ripped doesn't mean they don't struggle with diets and exercise plans.

2. Fight through the pain. Your neglected body won't be able to do what it once could. Start slowly and remember that post-exercise soreness means you're making progress. Use this as motivation to put the past into your present. "You'll see just how far you've let yourself go, but you'll know what you're eventually capable of," Harper says.

3. Break periods of discouragement — with a little help from your friends. "It's no secret that support groups work," says Harper. Online sites like www.biggestloserclub.com are huge inspirations for weight loss. Share your story with peers and read how they overcame struggles similar to yours.

4. Forget plateaus. Whether you lose weight every week or not, remember that your efforts are improving your overall health — from lowering cholesterol to cutting visceral belly fat. And don't weigh yourself more than once a week. You'll just make yourself nuts.

5. Fall down six times, but stand up seven. The wagon will leave you behind if you fall off. It's your job to keep chasing it down.

Eat smaller portions
There's a conspiracy to trick you into eating more. Everything from efficient busboys (clearing the table so you forget how much you've eaten) to "family-size" bags of chips (making massive quantities seem normal) goads us into stuffing our faces.

A recent Cornell University study found that nutritionists (!) who were asked to serve themselves ice cream at a party with large bowls and spoons dished out about 50 percent more than those given smaller bowls and spoons. "Even superstar experts get fooled," says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating. Fortunately, the illusion works both ways. . . .

• Use small bowls and spoons. Not only will you serve yourself less food, you'll eat less. Cornell researchers also found that graduate students scarfed down 59 percent more Chex Mix from large bowls than those who served themselves from smaller bowls.
• Drink from a tall glass. Our brains estimate height differently than width. Given drinking glasses with the same capacity, we tend to pour more into a short, squat glass than a tall, narrow one.
• Always, always skip the value size. Sure, you get more for your money when you buy in bulk. But Wansink has found that people who are given larger boxes of pasta cook and eat more of it than people given smaller boxes. Sacrifice the pennies; slim your waist.

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