Have you tried all of the fad diets and diet aids under the sun to try to find the quick route to weight loss, only to end up more depressed, not to mention heavier, than you were before? Most people end up learning the hard way that there is no short cut to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. It takes time, commitment, and lots of hard graft.

There are tricks of the trade you can use as part of a healthy lifestyle to give your metabolism a boost and burn fat more quickly, however, and one of the biggest ones comes down to exercise.

Although is it true that in general just getting out there and moving is one of the best things you can do to give your metabolism a long lasting, sustained boost, not all exercise is created equal.

Build Muscle Mass

You can learn how to boost your metabolism and lose weight. Read on to discover some tips about foods that can speed up your metabolism.

One thing that many people today are lacking in is sleep. Did you know that getting enough sleep each night is essential to boosting your metabolism? If you have poor sleep habits you will notice a decline in your metabolism.

Protein Power

Did you know that your body works harder when it is processing proteins? It works harder to process foods that contain protein than carbohydrates that you eat. Your body will rev up its metabolism in order to process protein.

Dark leafy green vegetables, beans, and whole grain pastas, are also good examples of foods that are high in fiber and fiber requires the burning of a lot of calories in order to process fiber. In fact sometimes it uses as many calories to process the fiber containing foods as the calories contained in the food.

It seems like everyone these days is looking for a way to lose weight quickly and easily. A dietary magic bullet that translates into big weight loss without any hard work is top of many people’s dream list, and who could blame them? Obesity rates are sky rocketing, and dieting is not an easy task. It takes a lot longer to lose it than it does to gain it, and losing weight can be a frustrating struggle.

For this reason, a billion dollar industry has grown up around diet aids, with many companies peddling the next big thing when it comes to weight loss, from fad diet plans to nutritional supplements that are sure to melt the pounds away while you eat all the junk food you can handle.

A new implantable medical device, developed by Mayo Clinic researchers, shows promise as a less invasive alternative to existing bariatric surgery, according to findings published in the July 2008 issue of the journal Surgery.

A six-month trial in Australia, Mexico and Norway, looked at 31 obese participants who received the vagal nerve blocking device, also called VBLOC vagal blocking therapy. The patients lost an average of nearly 15 percent of their excess weight. A quarter of the participants lost more than 25 percent, and three patients lost more than 30 percent.

Pacemaker for the Stomach

Cheese can be high in cholesterol, sodium and saturated fat, but eaten in moderation cheese can be a healthy part of your diet because it provides calcium.

If you need to watch your sodium or cholesterol intake than when you select your cheese and are looking at hard cheeses than check the label for "fat free", "low fat" and purchase those. If you are looking at soft cheese than chose those that are labeled as low fat (1%), part-skim or light products. Some grocery stores even carry low fat, low cholesterol cheese products for you to select from.

Cooking with Cheese

If you are cooking, do not use fat-free cheeses because they will not melt. Use a low-fat brand or reduce the amount you add to the recipe of a regular cheese by half.

Cheese does tend to have high sodium content so read labels of cheese packages to determine how much sodium is listed.