There are a large number of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high metabolic rate enables the body to maintain the burning of fat and lose weight rapidly with the least amount of physical exercise. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories in order that the body can function.

Many factors affect the metabolism of a person, such as the percentage of muscle tissue, the regularity of the meals that get eaten, genetics, levels of tension, personal diet and levels of activity. Metabolism is slowed down by the following: loss of muscle lack of physical exercise, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the reduction of physical activity that comes naturally with the ageing process.

There are many ways to improve the body's metabolic rate such as:

1. Develop a fit and healthy body. It is a natural process that metabolism decreases as we get older, but it is possible to minimise the effects. The level of muscle that a person has is a prime determinant in their ability to burn calories and burn fat. So it is obvious that building muscle is essential. Strength and resistance should be developed by a regular exercise program, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between the full workouts. Everyday tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can contribute to taking off calories. The key is to match the food consumption to the amount of activity that one has.

Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training -Gradually increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise. -Add to the level of resistance -Develop advance exercise techniques if this is possible. You may need to ask a professional trainer

For cardiovascular training -Insert intervals between exercises -Perform cross-training and combine the exercises - Raise resistance and speed

2. Don't go hungry in the morning. Many people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, it has been found that those people who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. The bodies metabolism can be considerably slower if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.

3. Don't eat sugar. Sugar is used by the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, regular exercising 2-3 times a week will help to stabilize the body's level of blood sugar.

4. Do Not Skip Meals. Although it would appear to be self evident that missing a meal will help you lose weight, but this is not true. The effect of skipping a meal is that it slows down your metabolism. A side-effect of missing out on a meal is that, missing a meal will make you more likely to snack between meals.

5. Change your diet. Eating curries can be good for you and help lower your weight! Any hot cuisine with peppers can increase the metabolic rate. Higher metabolism means that the body can burn fat faster.

6. Stay in bed. Researchers have found that people who do not get enough sleep are at the greatest risk of putting on weight. Also, muscle tissues are regenerated during the last couple of hours of sleep.

7. Drink more. Toxic by-products are produced whenever the body converts fat. Water flushes out these toxins that are produced. In fact, most of the bodily functions involves water, and lack of water can create problems in the body's system, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

8. Eat less food. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals intervals of every 2 or 3 hours. Eating less food is a major factor in reducing your overall calorie count.

9. Eat Energy Foods. Include more high energy foods in your daily diet. These energy foods include such items as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.

10. Carefully plan your meals. Make sure in advance that you prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Always stick to your scheduled meal times, and don't eat in between.

11. Chill Out! Stress, whether it is physical or emotional stress, results in the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases body's metabolic rate. Taking life easy will reduce the amount of cortisol in your body and so keep up your metabolic rate. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

12. Drink green tea. Green tea can be used as a substitute for coffee. Green tea has the ability to raise your metabolic rate, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.

All that you need to reach your desired body weight is the determination and patience required to stabilize your metabolic level, which is so important in weight loss. If you can stabalise your metabolism then you can lose weight. The real key to successful weight reduction is not eating correctly or working out, but changing your way of life.