10 ways I’m {attempting} to kick the crap out of my metabolism

I hate getting old. It seems like each second day I get older, my metabolism gets more and more screwed up. In my “younger” days {and by younger I mean even a year ago} I could clean up my eating and squeeze in some extra workouts in and I could lose a few pounds. Welllll…it appears my body doesn’t want to cooperate like that anymore. Now I feel like I have to work 100x as hard to get the same results; and I don’t like it. Not one bit.

Over the last 6 months, just by not working out too much, I have gained a few pounds, and they DO NOT WANT TO COME OFF. I am sick of my marshmallow-like thighs and it’s getting warmer and warmer here by the millisecond, which means wearing a bathing suit is becoming more of a reality. I *thought* I had at least another month of leggings weather but apparently that is not the case so I am hitting this “metabolism” thing head on.

I love my babies but rearing three kids has done a number on my metabolism. I feel like it’s mocking me, daily. I don’t DO mocking so I going to kick the crap out of metabolism and attempt to get it in gear. Here’s what I am working on. Hopefully if you are having some old lady metabolism issues too, these 10 tips will help you.

1. Watch my calories: I REALLY hate counting calories but it really does help. One would not imagine how many calories you can consume just snacking and/or finishing up your kids lunches. I am focusing on the “quality” of calories and just trying not to gorge daily. I have been using the My Fitness Pal app to help me. It’s an easy way to keep track and make me accountable, I am shooting for around 1300 calories, but don’t stress if I go over that some!

2. Drink more water: I know drinking water is uber important so I am trying to drink my 8 glasses a day. Also drinking ice cold water is suppose to help rev up your metabolism and is easy enough so count me in! You can’t go wrong with water, and if I drink enough in the day, I don’t feel guilt about having some wine at night 😉

3. More cardio! Ahhhh cardio. I wish I could go to the gym but alas, I cannot. I am currently doing t25 5x a week, which is a fairly effective 25 minute workout, but doesn’t seem to be enough to get the fat off of my thighs. Since that is the case, I have been trying to add an additional “mini” workout in each day. I pinned a bunch of short at-home workouts that I can do in a quick amount of time. I have been experimenting with some HIIT and tabata workouts, which are both based on the same principle of “high intensity with quick intervals”. These types of workouts are suppose to be great for boosting metabolism so I’ll take it!

4. Pump some iron: Nothing boosts metabolism like lifting weights and, again, since I can’t go to the gym, I am adding in some weights at home. Again, thank you Pinterest for all the great resources! I found a bunch of quick 10-15 weight lifting workouts that I can do every other day. I don’t only want to lose a few pounds (ok, like 10) but I also want to be buff, so this fits into my plan. The key for me is to make these workouts FAST. There’s only so many minutes I can not supervise my brand new 4 year old without her trying to escape or cook herself some waffles so I need to be in and out, so to speak.

5. Eat less carbs Screw you carbs!! Why do you have to be so good and in everything?!? I have been trying to keep my carb count under 200 grams a day, which is harder than it sounds :/ I know eating carbs does not a skinny thigh make, but I don’t want to eliminate them, obviously. I have just been trying to limit them. For example, one of my fav breakfasts has been an “open-faced” egg sandwich with a piece of organic turkey bacon. By using only half of the english muffin, I am limiting my carbs but still am full afterwards.

6. Eat more protein Protein is a muscle builder, it also helps to keep you feeling fuller longer so eating it is a win-win. I found this image on Pinterest and it’s a great info graphic of high-protein foods. The rule is to try and eat more protein on more active days and a bit less on less active days. This article here from Fit Sugar has a great chart on how many grams of protein you should be shooting to get.

7. Eat more frequently Not eat MORE but more FREQUENTLY. I usually have it embedded in my brain that if I skip a meal, it’s less calories and thus will help me lose weight. I suppose that’s true, in a sense, but what happens is I normally get hungry later and then I am eating more than I should later than I should! Also, this erratic eating can mess up your metabolism. I have been trying to follow the schedule I have for my kids: breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks, spread out by around 3-4 hours. I have been trying to eat more earlier in the day and less in the evening. I hate that “super full” feeling anyways, so I’m not a fan of a huge dinner. As for snacks, I am trying to keep these healthy. Lately I have been liking either an apple with a slice of harvarti cheese, or a greek yogurt, or some sliced veggies and hummus. These snacks are yummy (not like a bag of potato chips yummy but it’ll do!!) and help me to feel full so I am less tempted to grab that sweet or salty snack.

8. Spice, green tea, caffeine Every article I read on boosting your metabolism says to add in spice to your foods, drink some caffeine and also green tea so I trying all three. Plain green tea is not that yummy, so I haven’t been having too much of that, but it’s ok for a change from water. Caffeine is always a welcome addition to my life too, so no complaints there. 

9. Being accountable Being accountable for these changes is key for me. I don’t have a workout buddy here but I have been communicating with another blogger who’s been sharing her tips with me! Angelena with On Fire Fitness is sort of in the same boat as me and has been a lifesaver when it comes to support! Go check out her blog for more fitness tips (she knows WAY more than I do!) I also have been sharing my ups and downs with my sister in law, who is a busy mama like me! It’s great to have someone to be accountable to, even if they don’t live nearby. Also, by keeping track of my weekly weight and measurements, I am being honest about my goals and can evaluate how I am doing. It’s frustrating when you don’t see the results you want, but that just gives me more motivation to keep going! Lastly, I have purchased a Polar FT4 heart rate monitor/calorie counter which comes in the mail THIS week and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Working out at home, is not the most ideal situation, especially with kids running a muck, and it’s hard to see how many calories I am burning since everyone’s body is different. With this I’ll be able to track my cals burned and know if I have to step it up or not. (which is probably a “yes, I need to step it up”)

10. Stay positive This one is the most important. Like I said in #9, it’s SO easy to get on that scale each week and feel like you want to give up. Trust me, I have been there. One week I told my husband “You better love this (I yelled while pointing at my thigh) because this is as good as it’s going to get!!!” He, of course, said that he would, but then after a few minutes of sulking, I wanted to get back out there for ME. Not for him or the kids or for anyone, but for me. I want to be a healthy and happy wife and mom who also looks ok in a bathing suit. Will I ever have that pre-kid body again? No, but that’s ok because I can have a new hot “mom” body and that takes time…unfortunately MORE time now that I am older. Staying positive and motivated is key in this battle of me vs. marshmallow thighs.

Here’s a great quote to keep you motivated:

And if that doesn’t work…you can try this:

Ha! That ones just for fun 😉

Are you struggling with your metabolism and mom body too?? What are you trying to work on?

Need some quick workout ideas? Check out my Project Hot Mamas board on Pinterest, it’s full of workouts that you can easily do at home to burn some extra calories:

Follow Michelle Thomas (Our Three Peas)’s board Project Hot Mamas on Pinterest.