Charge Your Engine

Creating a speedy metabolism sets you up for one sweet domino effect. If your body is efficiently converting food into fuel and burning it, you’ll shed fat and build muscle. That muscle, in turn, boosts your metabolism even more, so you shed more fat and build more muscle, which…well, you get the idea. The payoff: a lean body for life.

Ready to get your motor revving? Here are 11 tips to help you eat, drink, and move your metabolism into high gear.

Graze All Day

Metabolism is like a camp fire. Eating four to six small meals throughout the day instead of three big ones is like slowly adding logs to your inner burn. “It’ll stoke your fire if you eat small meals frequently,” says David Grotto, R.D., president of Nutrition Housecall in Chicago and author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life.

Don’t Fear Carbs

Dodging carbohydrates leaves your body lacking the fast-burning energy supply that can kick-start your metabolism. Skip too many carbs and your body begins burning muscle, not fat. The best approach is a balance: a diet of about 50 percent to 55 percent carbs (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, not cookies, chips, and cake), about 20 to 25 percent protein, and 25 to 30 percent fat, Grotto says.

Sip Green Tea

Green tea contains EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, an antioxidant. Researchers from the Institute of Human Nutrition found that EGCG taken with caffeine (that’s the way it comes in tea) boosted energy expenditure (another term for calorie burn) by almost 4 percent.

Make Yours Water

H2O is your body’s lubrication. Without it, your internal machine won’t run quite as smoothly. During the day, sip about 13 cups of liquid (we know, it sounds like drinking a bathtub full), and when working out for more than an hour, drink about two to three cups more than that.

Be a Busybody

Fidgeting, pacing while you talk on the phone, or drumming your favorite ’80s tune can help burn more calories. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that just being on your feet more can burn an additional 350 calories a day.

Add Intervals

On cardio machines such as treadmills, ellipticals, or spin bikes, sprint at close to your maximum for 60 seconds, rest by walking or pedaling slowly for 1 or 2 minutes, then sprint again. Repeat about a half dozen times. If you can’t do the full 60 seconds or all the intervals, Trotter suggests starting with 30 seconds and gradually work your way up.

Chill Out

As the seasons change, don’t hibernate. Getting out in the cooler weather will help raise your metabolism. Researchers have found that about a quarter of the calories you burn during outdoor winter activities can be attributed to the energy your body uses to heat the air you breathe.

Lighten up

Instead of pumping heavy weights until you are fatigued, Trotter suggests that you opt for more repetitions of lighter weights. To find the ideal weight, determine your one rep max. Then lift three sets of 60 percent of your max for 12 to 20 reps. For example, if 100 pounds is your max on the lat pull-down, dial in 60 pounds.

Row, Row, Row

An RPM-revving machine you may be overlooking is the humble rower. Thirty minutes on this low-impact machine burns almost as many calories as running a 12-minute mile.

Overshoot Your Target

A couple times during your workout, bump your heart rate above your target for 1 or 2 minutes. During most workouts, you want to be at 55 percent to 85 percent of your max, but notching it up higher can also bump your metabolism, Trotter says.