I mentioned the term “thermic effect” of eating in past issues of Get Lean! but now I want to explain exactly what that means and what you can do to take advantage of it. If you have ever said, “I’m stuck with a slow metabolism,” you need to pay close attention. Believe it or not, there are many ways you can make your metabolism slower or faster. In other words, you are the creator of your present metabolism and can change it for better or for worse.

To lose weight, you need to have what is called a negative energy balance. That means that your calorie intake is less than your expenditure. That is true but there is more to the fat-loss puzzle than that.

Three factors that will have an impact on your energy expenditure are your RMR (resting metabolic rate), calorie cost of activity, and the thermic effect of food.

Resting metabolic rate is the amount of calories you will burn at rest.

Calorie cost of activity is the amount of calories you will burn throughout the day performing various activities (walking, getting out of a chair, playing a game of rugby, etc.).

The thermic effect of food is the amount of calories you burn while eating. Just like any other activity you perform, you burn calories while eating. Your body has to digest and absorb whatever it is that you’re putting in your mouth. All foods are not equal and “you are what you eat” may be true. Fats are relatively easy for the body to handle so there are few calories burned in the fat consumption process. Refined sugars have been processed by machines so there isn’t a lot of work left for the body to do with them.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates and especially lean protein have a high thermic effect. Protein has a 20-25% metabolic boost compared to only 5% for fat. That is a lot of calories over time (days, weeks, months, years, decades). Your best bet would be to eat five or six small balanced meals per day containing some lean protein, some complex carbs, and some fibrous veggies.

2) Metabolic Boosting Meal #1

This meal as well as the one that follows fits into the category mentioned above. I actually made both of these recipes and if I can make them, anyone can. Give 'em a try and lemme know what you think.

Turkey with Brown Rice, Spinach and Stewed Tomatoes
½ lb. ground turkey breast
1 package frozen spinach
1 16 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 package of Success brown rice

Grind turkey meat while preparing spinach and rice as directed on label. Heat the stewed tomatoes to very hot, but not boiling and add other ingredients for a great meal. If you need a little twist, you could add some nonfat shredded cheddar on top!

(Submitted by client Robin Dunn. Thanks, Robin!)

3) Metabolic Boosting Meal #2

Chicken, Peppers, and Rice
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 can (15 oz) low sodium whole tomatoes
1 tbsp minced jalapeno peppers
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth

Lightly coat large pan with non-stick spray. Cook chicken until lightly browned (7-8 minutes). Place cooked chicken on plate. Mix peppers, onions, and jalapeno peppers in pan, still over heat. Cook for 5 minutes. Mix in rice. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds. Pour in tomatoes and break up with wooden spoon as you mix into rice and peppers. Add chicken broth and sprinkle with black pepper. Place cooked chicken in rice and increase heat until broth comes to boil. reduce heat to low, cover pan, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

(This recipe was taken out of Phil Kaplan’s Eat! recipe book.)

4) Thank You, Thank You!

Thanks to YOU, the word is spreading. Thanks to all of my clients and friends who graciously referred me to your family, friends and neighbors recently! See, rather than pester people with unwanted calls and pushy sales techniques, I build my business based on the positive comments and referrals from people just like you. I can’t thank you enough.

Thanks to: Jeff Smith, Carol Donato, Leslie Kaplan, Larry Kaplan, Theresa Rosado, Susan Sescilla, Franl Rossi, Dominick Nuzzo and Morris Tuchman.

5) Fitness Trivia!

Welcome to the first edition on Hofe-Man Fitness Systems trivia. The first person to call my office (not e-mail) the correct answer to the following question will receive a free Hofe-Man Fitness Systems T-Shirt, a $14.95 value. Everybody else who answers correctly will receive a copy of my free report, “Free Health and Fitness Consumer Awareness Guide.” If I don’t pick up, my machine will record the date and time so I will be able to determine who the winner is. Good Luck!

This question requires four answers and I’m giving you one answer so you need to call with the other three.

How many calories does 1 gram of each of the following contain?

Protein=?, Carbohydrate=4, fat=?, alcohol=?