If you’ve ever endured a prolonged diet, you may have caused metabolic damage or accelerated metabolic aging as a result of rapid weight loss, restrictive eating and excessive exercise. When experiencing a calorie deficit, the body undergoes physiologically-based responses; to compensate, nutrients are taken from bones and muscle stores, causing your system to go into starvation mode. The result can be a lower, if not altogether stalled metabolism.

You can repair metabolic damage, but it’s not a short-term solution. The trick is to reset your metabolism by consuming more calories gradually and introducing a healthy exercise program. To do this, determine how much
you need to eat on an average day and increase it by 10-20% every few days until you hit your “maintenance calorie” zone.

You will want to maintain this level of calories for at least two weeks until your metabolism is operating at optimal levels again. After that, reduce your normal health caloric intake (for your body’s weight). You’ll notice healthy weight loss occurring rather quickly and subsequent fat loss will be more effective and long-term.

FUEL FIRST Start your day right with a breakfast fit for champions. The key is to get as much “power foods” into your body early in the day to jump-start your metabolism, eliminate snacking and set the pace for the day. Five quick ideas high in fiber, vitamins and good fats to fuel your fit family on-the-go: