How to Boost Your Metabolism in 9 Easy Steps

Photo by: R29

1. GET SOME SLEEP. SERIOUSLY.

It's something you've got to do anyway, every single day, so why not do it right and really make it work for you? Sure, it's not always easy to tally up the recommended seven to nine hours a night or the really good REM deep kind. But, the more quality sleep time you log, the skinnier you may get.

"A huge amount of recent research connects sleep to appetite and metabolism," says Isaacs. "We know ... more 

Photo by: R29

1. GET SOME SLEEP. SERIOUSLY.

It's something you've got to do anyway, every single day, so why not do it right and really make it work for you? Sure, it's not always easy to tally up the recommended seven to nine hours a night or the really good REM deep kind. But, the more quality sleep time you log, the skinnier you may get.

"A huge amount of recent research connects sleep to appetite and metabolism," says Isaacs. "We know insufficient sleep (and approximately 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from some type of sleeping disorder, the National Institutes of Health finds), can lead to slower metabolism, as well as increase hypertension, diabetes and weight gain-and I see it with my patients - when people improve their sleep, they can see dramatic weight loss."

Here's why: when you're in a peaceful slumber, your body produces more leptin (Greek for thin!), a hormone that legit suppresses appetite. So, if you don't get enough zzz's, you also don't get less