Eating Mistakes that Slow Metabolism #3-4

3. Your Carbs are WhiteBoost your fiber intake by switching to whole wheat bread, pasta and eating more fruits and vegetables. Research shows that some fiber can rev your fat burn by as much as 30%. Studies find that women who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 grams a day - the amount in about 3 servings each of fruits and vegetables.

4. Your Water is Room Temperature
German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (48 ounces total) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily - enough to shed 5 pounds in a year. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.

Follow these 5 other tips to ignite your calorie burn while working out - you can torch up to 60% more calories every workout!

1. Quench with Cool Water: As we said above, cold water revs your metabolism. Exercisers who drank refrigerated water (39 degrees Fahrenheit) worked out about 25% longer than those who consumed the same amount of warmer water - and they said their exercise session felt easier too. Sipping chilled water may help keep your body temperature down and your energy up for maximum calorie burn.
2. Swing those Arms: Turn your walking into a calorie-torching workout by bending your elbows 90 degrees and pumping your arms as you stride. It not only automatically speeds up your pace but helps you burn up to 15% more calories every time you work out.
3. Pop in your Headphones: Working out to your favorite fitness playlist can help you to go up to 20% longer and burn more calories, finds a study from West London's Brunel University. Music blocks fatigue, produces feelings of vigor, and helps you keep pace by synchronizing your movements, says study author Costas Karageorghis, PhD.
4. Put on Some Weight: To really rev your calorie burn, it is not about the number of reps, but the size of the weights. Even when exercisers lifted identical volumes (such as 10 pounds 10 times, or 20 pounds 5 times), those using the heavier dumbbells burned about 25% more calories when they were finished. "Heavy weights create more protein breakdown in the muscle, so your body has to use more energy to repair and recover - that's how lean muscle tissue is built," says researcher Anthony Caterisano, PhD, of Furman University.
5. Break up your Sets: When researchers had testers do either standard strength-training (3 sets of 6 exercises with 2 minutes of rest in between) or circuit training (moving through a series of 6 exercises 3 times, with 30 seconds of rest in between), the circuit trainers burned nearly twice as many calories postworkout as the standard-style lifters. 'Because your heart rate stays elevated longer after circuit-training, you continue burning fat as though you were still exercising," says researcher Anthony Caterisano, PhD, of Furman University.