Have you realized that some people can eat whatever they want and never gain weight? Or have you thought about why some people can lose weight on a diet and others can not? Maybe you need to jump start metabolism.

The answer of course is your metabolism. Every individual has a metabolic rate that is unique to them.

Our metabolic rate is the rate at which we burn calories or store them as fat, just to sustain life. We burn calories constantly – even while sleeping. Muscles burn calories even when we aren’t doing anything physical, because of this muscles are said to be “metabolic reactive”. One quick and easy way to jump start metabolism is to get more muscle.

The more muscle you have, the more calories they burn. That’s why any healthy diet program will say you need to exercise.

The food we eat (healthy foods jump start metabolism, junk foods slow it down turning calories into fat) and our levels of activity are big determinants to our metabolic rate, but there are others. Here are a few:

Age makes a difference – as we age, our metabolism tends to slow down.

Stress is also influential. More and more studies are linking obesity with stress on the job and in the home. Aside from our tendency to eat more when stressed, it’s been discovered that stress actually interferes with some of the normal processes in the body which in turn slows our metabolism. Seems odd, but yoga or meditation could be a key to jump start metabolism!

Sleep… it has been well researched and proven that not getting enough sleep – or getting too much sleep – will mess up your metabolism. To jump start metabolism, 7 to 9 hours a day is the best amount.

Genetics play a role in metabolism. This is probably very obvious. Overweight parents tend to lead to overweight offspring. Some genetic health conditions, such as thyroid disease, can also play a role in weight. This is why seeing a doctor before beginning any weight loss plan is advised. It will remove any nagging doubts about your health before you undertake a program to jump start metabolism.

Most diets include advice about drinking plenty water. Most diets say it is to make you feel full so you don’t overeat. While that may be a good idea, it is not the entire story as to why water helps with weight loss. Water helps in weight loss because it hydrates the body, flushes out toxins and keeps excess water stored in the body to a minimum. All of this leads to a speedier metabolism and more weight loss.

To learn everything you need to know on how to jump start metabolism and start dropping all those excess pounds… get my FREE mini-course, “Fast Weight Loss Tips!