Need to boost my metabolism

[moana]

I just quit smoking after 15 years (yuck i know) and I know that people tend to put on some weight after that.I am also living a very sedentary life due to a recent injury compared to my lifestyle before I got hurt. I used to work out hardcore everyday and run eventhough I smoked. Those were the good old days. On top of that I get 2 to 3 hours sleep a day. My diet is good, at least I can say that, although sometimes I drink a lot of caffeine to keep up with my lifestyle. I eat most of my meals between 11pm to 7am. These are my working hours. My life is been anything but what's considered normal and I also deal with a lot, i mean a lot of stress both at work and at home. At work It's weird because I can be sitting for 4 hours straight in a car and then suddenly I have to run after somebody, climb walls, go to rooftops, carrying all that extra equipment and then go back to sitting down. I'm a police officer.

As a result I feel no energy whatsoever. I started to drink lots of green tea and I even take it in tablets, but I was wondering if there's anything else that can help me out. The greentea doesn't seem to be doing the job. My husband says I should be taking b6 and zinc. Is there anything else I could take to help me out?

[Anubis]

Hmmmm... no magic supplement is going to give you energy without some unwanted side effects.

What's your sleeping schedule like? In order to boost your metabolism I'd eat every 2-3 hours, and eat small. Make sure your meals are balanced with protein, carbs and good fats. Make sure you're not eating things laden with empty carbs throughout your working shift. That will put on the weight and make you feel sluggish after your body quickly burns it up and/or stores it as fat.

Do you have kids at home? If you can get into a routine of getting to sleep between 8-9am and getting up around 2-3 o'clock in the afternoon you could possibly start encorporating some work-outs throughout the afternoon. It only takes a good hour to put in a decent workout. Start out with some resistance training. This will also help you in burning fat (if you have any).

You didn't mention the type of injury you sustained. What are your limitations? If you're still chasing bad guys then I assume you can still hoist a few dumbells or put in some cardio.

If you really want to go the route of supplementation though I'd recommend steering clear of ephedra (yes, it's legal now. At least in illinois). When I need a quick pick-me-up whether or not it's for a workout or something else I grab one of them 16 oz. energy drinks. I get the SoBe Nofear. It packs like 200mg of caffeine. That will have you bouncing off the walls.

As far as stress bogging you down. If it's something you can't work out on your own you should see if your department has a staff counselor. Don't feel bad about seeing a professional if you have to. Many people just need someone else to tell their problems to sometime.

Hope all goes well. Keep us updated.

[moana]

SoBe Nofear, is that like redbull? or stronger?
Anubis , I have a herniated disk. I can't do any impact or cardio, which sucks. No bending or lifting or crunches either or anything that would twist my upper body. There's not much left..lol

"no magic supplement is going to give you energy without some unwanted side effects"

What side effects are we talking about? I don't know any supplements, so I don't even know what to look for.

[Brian A.]

Moana first of all let me say much respect for police officers. It is a very tough job and we are all lucky to have people like you willing to do it.

Now to business. I personally would stay away from any "energy supplements" all together. The energy you will get from them is artifical and short lived at best. In many cases the compounds/chemical's side effects on your body are more trouble then they are worth. Side effects for stimulants including caffine (yes it is a drug) are generaly increased resting heart rate and blood pressure, both put undue stress on your CV system which could lead to problems down the road. You also develop a dependency on them which can lead to headaches and other withdrawal symptoms when you are not taking them in. Caffine also is a diuretic which can lead to dehydration and all of its negative effects on the body.

I think that it is time you reevaluate your current life style and how realistic it is to keep it up. It sounds like you are in a self destructive pattern right now and it could only be a matter of time before your body starts to really break down.

I don't want to sound preachy or negative, but if you are only getting 2-3 hours of sleep per day and relying on stimulants to keep yourself going you are going to run into some trouble. As far as you metabolism is concerned, what type of foods are you eating and what is the general pattern of your meals? The body and the metabolism both respond best to rythm. That is why a regular sleep pattern and regular, evenly spaced, healthy meals will give you all the energy you need. Try to stay away from processed foods and stick to whole foods that will give you the vitamins and energy you need naturally (fruits, veggies, fresh meats and fish)

You need to start making time for yourself, that includes regular workouts. Depending on where your bulging disk problem is, upright or recumbent cycling may be a good source of cardio. Perhaps even an elliptical trainer would work.

You are no good to yourself or anyone else if you run yourself into the ground. Many people believe they can keep up unrealistic schedules and many do for a time, but remember at the end of the day your health comes first and there is no substitute for proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise.

[Anubis]

moana said: "SoBe Nofear, is that like redbull? or stronger?"

Yes, it's a lot stronger than Red Bull, it's twice as big too. I wasn't suggesting this as something to do everyday for energy however. Like Brian said, steering clear of supplements all together is key.

side effects from energy supplements and large amounts of caffeine can be palpitations, tremors, always feeling anxious or jittery, you could have your sleep schedule disrupted even more, it could even lead to hypertension.

I agree with everything Brian has said though. You should re-evaluate your lifestyle. Is there any way of getting on first shift? Being able to sleep at least 6-7 hours a day is going to make a huge difference in itself, as well as getting a solid consistent diet down.

[moana]

I know I have to change my lifestyle, believe me, my body's telling me that already. But unfortunately i'm looking at least to 6 more months of this. During my days off I catch about 10 hours of sleep, it's like hibernation mode...it helps.

I never liked junk food, i avoid fastfood places, no sodas, no candies, no sweets, mostly veggies, chicken , fish, a steak here and there, but I hate fruits. So I drink juice to compensate. There's the ocasional donut at 4am, but hey, can't be perfect. That stuff is good. I eat about 3 meals at night and I snack a lot. I'll have peanuts, yougurt, pickles, soup, tuna..in between meals. My weight's been around 130-135 for quiet sometime now, pretty steady, but this whole smoke quitting is making me eat more. I was told that smoking speeds your metabolism and that's why i was looking for someway to substitute that.

Brian A. thks for your kind words, wish everybody in the streets felt the same way...