Boost that Metabolism!
A FUTURE FFG WRITES: I had my son two years ago and he'll be 3 this October 6th. I went to the doctor and asked them what I could do to help myself get rid of this weight. I am 5'7" and as of my visit yesterday weigh 254lbs. The most I have ever weighed was 270lbs. I had blood work done and found that I have a borderline over active thyroid however my metabolism is so slow that I practically don't have one at all so everything I eat sticks. However is there anything I can do to kickstart my metabolism without having to take medication? I am walking now to get into shape. I want to be able to run after my son and play with him with no problem. Do you have any advice for me on how to get my metabolism boosted?
DEAR FUTURE FFG:Thank you so much for writing. I can completely understand where you are ... wanting so much to be healthy for your son. To me, the fact that he is your motivation may just make the difference for you--that it's more about being active enough to have fun with him than about getting down to a certain size. The fact is that we don't have to be super-skinny to enjoy life ... we just have to be strong enough to carry ourselves through life comfortably, to run and play and pick him up and hold him as long as we can (mine is six, and he's getting REALLY heavy ... so I am in the gym lifting weights so I can still lift him up! I don't want to let go of that ...!).
It is great that you are under a doctor's care for your thyroid/metabolism. But as far as boosting your metabolism--I would just focus on building up your endurance and strength through walking. You didn't mention what your walking routine is, but usually the best tactic is to build up a good base ... start with 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week ... and do that for at least six weeks. At that point, check in with yourself: Has the walking gotten easier? Do you know you can handle the 30 minutes without a problem? If not, keep up your base routine ... until you do feel like you can handle the effort. You need that foundation to build on.
Once you have that, you can try a couple of things to build your metabolism:
--strength training: a good weight lifting routine can help you increase your lean muscle mass and boost metabolism. You could actually start this now if you want ... I would recommend a place like Curves or a beginner circuit class at the Y. Or, get a one-time session with a trainer to learn a good routine tailored to your needs (and if you have the $$$, by all means sign on for more!). The thing about strength training is that it gets your core muscles in shape so you feel more powerful while walking ... and stronger leg and core muscles in particular can keep you from having achy knees and back pain. Try to train a minimum of twice a week ... maybe after a shorter walk if you can.
--walking intervals: alternating short bursts of maybe 2-3 minutes at a faster pace, with an equal amount of time at your normal pace to recover--do this for your 30 minute workout once or twice a week
--walk/run intervals: simply run instead of walk during the faster portions of your interval workout
--hill repeats: find a hill in your neighborhood and power walk up it 3-5 times during your walk ... you can do this a couple of times a week
--cross training: Spinning is a great thing to work into your routine ... it's a hard, sweaty workout that gets you off your feet and burns a ton of calories, but since you are in charge of setting your bike's resistance, it's really tailored to your fitness level.
Once you have a good base for walking, it's a great idea to keep switching it up a bit to keep your metabolism on its toes. Think of these options as sort of a cafeteria line--each week you can pick and choose from them.
I know this sounds like it will take a ton of time ... but it will be worth the investment. A basic strength routine should only take about 20 minutes ... I admit, I have trouble finding the time to do that and cardio, but when I do it, I am so much happier because my back doesn't hurt after I run!
I hope this helps. You are completely on the right track with walking and seeking your doctors' help. Keep looking ahead at your goal ... to be a healthy mom for your son. You can do it ... I know you can.
Lisa D
DEAR FUTURE FFG:Thank you so much for writing. I can completely understand where you are ... wanting so much to be healthy for your son. To me, the fact that he is your motivation may just make the difference for you--that it's more about being active enough to have fun with him than about getting down to a certain size. The fact is that we don't have to be super-skinny to enjoy life ... we just have to be strong enough to carry ourselves through life comfortably, to run and play and pick him up and hold him as long as we can (mine is six, and he's getting REALLY heavy ... so I am in the gym lifting weights so I can still lift him up! I don't want to let go of that ...!).
It is great that you are under a doctor's care for your thyroid/metabolism. But as far as boosting your metabolism--I would just focus on building up your endurance and strength through walking. You didn't mention what your walking routine is, but usually the best tactic is to build up a good base ... start with 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week ... and do that for at least six weeks. At that point, check in with yourself: Has the walking gotten easier? Do you know you can handle the 30 minutes without a problem? If not, keep up your base routine ... until you do feel like you can handle the effort. You need that foundation to build on.
Once you have that, you can try a couple of things to build your metabolism:
--strength training: a good weight lifting routine can help you increase your lean muscle mass and boost metabolism. You could actually start this now if you want ... I would recommend a place like Curves or a beginner circuit class at the Y. Or, get a one-time session with a trainer to learn a good routine tailored to your needs (and if you have the $$$, by all means sign on for more!). The thing about strength training is that it gets your core muscles in shape so you feel more powerful while walking ... and stronger leg and core muscles in particular can keep you from having achy knees and back pain. Try to train a minimum of twice a week ... maybe after a shorter walk if you can.
--walking intervals: alternating short bursts of maybe 2-3 minutes at a faster pace, with an equal amount of time at your normal pace to recover--do this for your 30 minute workout once or twice a week
--walk/run intervals: simply run instead of walk during the faster portions of your interval workout
--hill repeats: find a hill in your neighborhood and power walk up it 3-5 times during your walk ... you can do this a couple of times a week
--cross training: Spinning is a great thing to work into your routine ... it's a hard, sweaty workout that gets you off your feet and burns a ton of calories, but since you are in charge of setting your bike's resistance, it's really tailored to your fitness level.
Once you have a good base for walking, it's a great idea to keep switching it up a bit to keep your metabolism on its toes. Think of these options as sort of a cafeteria line--each week you can pick and choose from them.
I know this sounds like it will take a ton of time ... but it will be worth the investment. A basic strength routine should only take about 20 minutes ... I admit, I have trouble finding the time to do that and cardio, but when I do it, I am so much happier because my back doesn't hurt after I run!
I hope this helps. You are completely on the right track with walking and seeking your doctors' help. Keep looking ahead at your goal ... to be a healthy mom for your son. You can do it ... I know you can.
Lisa D
posted by Lisa Delaney at
8:15 AM
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