metabolism and exercise

Okay, so first off, lets talk about metabolism. I initially had this huge speech I was gonna put on here about catabolism and anabolism, etc. But, quite frankly, I fell asleep trying to proofread it. So, here's the skinny (yes, the pun was intended) Your body must process food for energy. The more your body demands energy, the faster your body has to work to process food for energy. It doesn't work an 8 hour day and say "I didn't get to that pile of stuff yet. I'll just put in an hour of overtime.' It works 24 - 7 and if your body needs more energy than it is producing, then it needs to figure out a way to produce more energy in the same amount of time. So, how do we increase metabolism? Well, you could spend lots of money on those 'don't change a thing, just take this tiny pill and you will lose 5 pounds a week" substances. Sure, fill your body with caffeine, ephedrine and toxins--losing weight is all about looking good, not about being healthy, right? You can drop those pounds, BUT, and here is the clencher, as soon as you stop taking those, your metabolism slows down again and you gain weight. I don't know about you, but I can think of something else to spend that $50 (and in some cases more)a month on.
So, how do we get our body to increase the metabolism? Muscle. Yep, muscle. You don't have to have 'buldging biceps' in order to have the muscle that increases your metabolic rate. It has been proven again and again, that muscle requires more nutrients, so, there is no sense in going into all the details. What it boils down to is that if you want to permanently increase your metabolism, you must build muscle. I won't insult your intelligence by explaining more.
Okay, so, you have to exercise, right? Well, guess what else you have to do? You have to eat. You can't not eat. Don't do it. It is a vicious battle. Take a few minutes to look at someone who is anorexic. Does she look sexy and healthy to you? No. Her skin is transparently blue and it dangles on her bones. YUCK.
Feed yourself healthy stuff. I got the best results when I ate about three meals at about 300 calories a piece and then two snacks in between at about a 150 calories for each. So, a Snickers bar, at 271 calories, would be a meal instead of a snack. And since protein in the peanuts is miniscule compared to other foods that have less calories (yes, I tried to rationale the protein in the snickers) Don't do it. It is only one flavor and you could get so much more taste with less calories consumed.

Your mission, should you accept it. You need to figure out what days and times you will exercise. If you are just beginning, then, start from the beginning. Don't go all crazy and plan to spend 1 hour a day exercising, you will peter out quickly. I want you to build a routine that will work for you.
Also, go grocery shopping and cupboard cleaning. You know the food pyramid. It is not a myth - follow it. And, definately watch the calories on those so-called protein bars. If it has less than 5 grams of protein in it, it is not worth your time or money.
Tune in tomorrow when we'll talk about exercise schedules and activites.