Winter is on its way out, but your winter fat may be lingering. Exercise is a great way to shed fat and increase your metabolism, especially strength training. Here are five other ways to increase your metabolism and shed your winter fat.

1. Fasting for Fat Loss: Time Restricted Eating (TRE) and Intermittent Fasting (IF) are very effective tools to reignite your metabolism. Time restricted eating involves fasting for 14-18 hours daily and eating your calories within a 6–10-hour window. It has been shown that the amount of cellular cleanup increases with an increase in fasting time which gets rid of toxins that bog down your metabolism. It has also been documented that women respond best to fasting between 14-16 hours. Intermittent fasting in comparison is fasting for 24-72 hours (about 3 days) once weekly. If you are new to time restricted eating, I recommend first picking the time when you normally eat your last meal of the day then add 12-14 hours to determine when your eating window should begin. Over a period of days or weeks you can increase your fasting time to 14-18 hours. If you have not done a fast before I recommend doing it on a weekend starting Friday night after your last meal and choose a 24–32-hour window for your fast where you consume only water and clear liquids like bone broth and tea and do only light exercise. You should always consult your doctor before fasting.
2. The Power of Protein: Eating more protein is an easy way to increase your metabolism which means you will burn more fat. Protein is used for building and repairing muscle tissue among other things and is not stored as fat. Protein also keeps you satisfied longer and helps in blood sugar regulation. Enjoy 4-6 three-ounce servings of protein daily and have some protein with every meal and snack. Protein is found in fish, chicken, beef, pork, wild game, eggs, and cheese. If you are vegan or vegetarian you can get adequate protein from legumes, nuts, and some high protein grains.
3. Hydrate then Repeat: Drinking water increases your metabolism, increasing your energy and
   ability to burn fat. Drinking water will improve your mental focus, memory, and concentration.
   Work at drinking half of your bodyweight in ounces of water every day. If you enjoy caffeinated
   beverages, you need to consume an equivalent amount of water for every ounce of caffeinated
   beverage.
4. Say No to Added Sugars: Sugar is readily converted to fat. A good way to avoid added sugar is to
   read labels and eat mostly whole foods. What about fruit? Fresh and frozen fruit are good for you,
   but in small amounts. Eat your fruit in the morning when your metabolism is the highest and only
   2-3 servings daily.
5. Eat Less Starch: It is easy to underestimate the amount of starch we consume. Starchy foods such
   as rice, corn, potatoes, pasta, breads, and cereals are readily converted to sugar. If we don’t need
   to use those sugars for energy or to replenish our muscle glycogen after exercising, it will be stored
   as fat. Going starch free or measuring your starchy foods is a way to train your body to use stored fat as energy. A good rule of thumb is 1⁄2 c of rice, pasta or other grain, and potatoes. You will be surprised how little it is when you measure it. For cereals and granola, read the label as most serving size is 1/4 – 1/3 c.

If winter was not friendly to your waistline, use these tips to reignite your metabolism and shed your
winter fat. Remember, it is never too late to make a shift in health.