24 hours to a slimmer you

7 A.M OPEN YOUR CURTAINS Your body's metabolism nods off while you sleep becouse you aren't active. Getting a quick hit of sunlight decreases sleep hormones, like melatonin and helps wake your metabolism back up. 7.30 A.M SIT DOWN TO BREAKFAST You need to eat first thing in morning or your body switches into conservation mode, which means you'll burn calories at a slower rate." says Zuckerbrot. She recommends fueling up with a bowl of oatmeal with fruit, or high-fiber cereal. 8.55 A.M RUN UP THE STAIRS Just one 30-second sprint increases your body's production of human growth hormone (HGH) fivefold. It's HGH that helps maintain muscles. 9 A.M DRINK SOME WATER When German researchers had 14 volunteers drink 2 cups of water, their metabolism jumped 30 % after 40 minutes- and stayed at a higher rate for an hour. 11 A.M TAKE A QUICK STROLL AROUND THE OFFICE Getting up from your seat more often-and moving around-can blast up to 350 calories estra a day, according to a study published in journal Science. 2 P.M TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS Stress hormones, like cortisol, can put a damper on your metabolism," says Mark Hyman, M.D., author of Ultra-Metabolism. When your day gets hectic, close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths into your belly. 4 P.M HAVE A 100 TO 200 CALORIES SNACK "Eat something at least every 4 hours," says Zuckerbrot."When you consistently give your body food, your metabolism doesn't have a chance to slow down". 5.30 P.M DO AN INTERVAL TRAINING SESSION Varying your workout intensity bumps up your resting metabolism, so you continue to burn more calories all day. Run or cysle at about 80% of your all-out effort for a minute or so, then slow down to 50% for a minute and a half, and repeat. 7.00 P.M EAT A MIX OF LEAN PROTEIN, VEGGIES AND WHOLE GRAINS The protein will help you build lean muscle, and the veggies and grains provide long-lasting energy. 7.30 P.M TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN It's insurance that you'll get enough of the vitamins, selenium, and vitamins C and D-that your metabolism needs to function properly. 10.30 P.M HIT THE HAY Studies show that sleep deprivation increases stress and lowers levels of the peptide hormone leptin, which causes you to feel hungry. Sources: SHAPE AUGUST 2007