Boosting your metabolism is the goal for any weight watcher. If you are hoping to shed a few pounds, getting your metabolism to burn calories faster makes the job easier to manage. However, that is easier said than done in most cases. Your success depends on a variety of factors. For example, it is natural that men burn calories faster than women do, even when a man is resting. Once you hit the magic age of 40, your metabolism slows down – further making it hard to lose weight. You may not feel you have many options to boost your metabolism then, but in fact, you do.

Building Muscle

One of the best ways to push your metabolism numbers higher is to build muscle. Even when you do nothing, your body is burning calories. However, if you have more muscle mass (and that does not necessarily mean bulky muscles) your body will burn more calories even as you relax. That is because each muscle needs six calories a day just to support it. Keep in mind that each pound of fat burns only two calories per day. This difference adds up over time and makes a significant difference in your body’s makeup.

Are there really secrets to losing weight? For many people, it is not about the actual secret as much as it is about the misconceptions. Do you think you can eat anything if you spend 90 minutes a day working out? Perhaps you are working hard but you cannot get rid of those last few pounds. On the other hand, you may be losing weight but you don’t feel good or you do not look better. What is really going on? Those are the typical questions individuals have about weight loss.

By better understanding the true secrets to weight loss, you will find yourself on the right track for looking better and feeling great. Look at these.

How Much Weight?

Just how much weight can I lose in a week? You may have heard the average doctor recommend just a pound or two a week and felt that just was not enough. How much you lose depends on the amount of exercise you do and the amount you are eating. Keep in mind that in order to lose just one pound of fat, you need to create what is called a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. Therefore, to lose a pound a week, you need to have a 500-calorie deficit each day. For two pounds a week, you need a 1000-calorie deficit. That may seem like a lot, and it is. However, the only way to lose weight is through diet and exercise, if you want to keep that weight off.

It could be the freshmen 15 that is pulling you down. You may have a college beer belly. No matter what led to your extra weight gain at college, you are now facing the reality of getting rid of it. Many students leave mom and dad’s house and go away to college. They do not eat right while there and often are not as physically active on campus. The result is weight gain. If this has happened to you, the good news is that you can do something about it.

Where Did It Come From?

One of the biggest questions people have is where this extra weight came from. For many, it does come from drinking alcohol. Considering that one pint of beer can have up to 300 or more calories in it, it is easy to see how just a few of these can put you well over your limit of calories for the day. Since you are away at school, you are likely to drink more often, too.

Otherwise, for those who do not drink a lot of alcohol, those extra pounds come from eating a poor diet. A bad diet of pizza and burgers, skipping breakfast and not eating vegetables will really do it to you. For many college-going students, this is a day in the life of eating as a college kid. After a few years of this, you may find yourself unable to lose the weight as easily as you did in the past.