Revving Up

I just read this article on revving up one's metabolism, and I think I'm making several critical errors.

First, I am not drinking nearly enough water. I try to get it in from sugar-free iced tea or Jello or similar, but I really don't have enough of that to offset the amount of sodium and caffeine I'm consuming from diet sodas. What I didn't realize, however, is that running slightly dehydrated actually decreases metabolic rate. Therefore, I'm going to redouble my efforts to drink at least 64 oz of water a day and cut back on soda. I imagine that will have some nice skin and hair benefits too.

The second major thing that it's taking me too long to realize is that not eating enough, waiting until really late in the day, or going an excessively long time between meals, causes my metabolism to slow. When blood sugar drops, the body stores energy as fat. It seems so simple, but it's so easy to think "Ehn, I'm fat enough, I don't really need to eat." So even though it feels like work to have to squeeze in regular meals and snacks throughout the day, I think it's something I need to make a concerted effort toward. Atkins is perhaps problematic because it reduces hunger so much that I often go as long as ten or twelve hours without eating - I can't imagine my metabolism keeps working in that time.

Lastly, and I've been harping on myself about this one for this whole process - I need to develop muscle tone and become aerobically active. Period. End of story.

So I need to remember these things the next time I find myself staring at the scale and thinking "But I haven't eaten carbs - why am I back up to 179?" I know why, and I know that there is no magic solution or lazy way out. I can make this work, and I know how. I just have to have the discipline to do it.