Raising metabolism?

[The_Great_White_Snark]

So, dieting causes your metabolism to lower, there's no way around it; that's why exercising is so important.

What tricks do you have to keep your metabolism burning calories? Green tea is the most popular method as far as I can tell, but I've also heard a lot about cayenne pepper and other spicy foods raising your body temperature significantly.

Has anyone tried this?  

[Tandahda]

Eat small amounts very often, that is the only real way I know of. Anything else I cannot vouch for.

At one point a friend of mine was eating no more than a handful at a time of food practically all the time.

It is a good skill to get into for it stops you from overeating.  

[out of the woods]

It's a small method, but if you always drink ice cold water, it helps by burning a bit more because it's having to increase your body temperature to the normal level.  

[Divash]

Drinking cold water, or swimming in cool water, will help a bit... but let's not forget the general body shape of those animals that live in or near cold water all the time. Seal, porpoise, whale, walrus, penguin. I'm just sayin'. wink

Green tea helps; spicy foods help; fiber-rich vegetables and fruits help.

I keep a recycling pail under my desk and lift it between my feet a few times just whenever my feet get bored and need a toy. wink

Wii Fit Plus is my new best friend. Building muscle helps a LOT, because muscle mass burns fat and calories a lot, while fat doesn't burn fat pretty much at all. Any kind of exercise is better than no exercise.

Drink a lot of water. 8 glasses a day, minimum.  

[Lady Kayura]

Drinking too much water can kill you.

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm  

[Munkers]

Weight-lifting. Honestly, it's about the only way to permanently boost your resting metabolism.

I know a lot of women are scared to do weight training or only do it with super-light weights because they're afraid of "bulking up" but it's really an unfounded fear. A woman's body just isn't made to bulk up like a guy's body. The only way you're going to put on serious muscle mass is if you're actually trying.

So yeah. Lift weights. whee Another benefit of using heavier weights is that you can produce the same amount of muscle fatigue with fewer reps which is actually more affective for encouraging new muscle growth. And it means your workout doesn't take as long.