If you're a chronic dieter, used to enduring long periods of severe caloric restriction, there's little doubt your metabolism has slowed to a crawl (the body responds to reduced caloric intake by furthering reducing the metabolism). That's why it's so easy to gain weight now.

As a solution, try implementing these 7 simple steps into your daily regimen to give your metabolism a well-needed shot in the arm. Ready? Let's get started...

i) Probably the most important thing you can do is be sure to eat that first meal of the day... breakfast. Yes, believe it or not, this is a great way to get your metabolism fired up. Best of all, you do not need to eat much -- a couple of hundred calories is plenty. Good choices are: oatmeal, eggs, egg whites, a protein smoothie, or 1 tbsp. all-natural peanut butter on half a whole wheat bagel. Stay away from highly refined grain products, sugar-based products, fruit juices (all the sugar without the fiber of the

actual fruit), as well as both refined and sweetened cereals. Be sure to include a protein source in the breakfast meal.

ii) Eat small balanced meals every two-three hours (this isn't always easy from a purely practical point of view, but it is critical. To make it work, you may need to prepare and prepackage meals in advance). To keep the body chugging along optimally, you need to keep it fueled, but not over-fueled. In other words, you need to eat, but not too much. Believe me, this

works wonders. Take your bodyweight, multiply by 10 or 12, and divide by 6. The number you are left with is the amount of calories each of your small meals should contain.

iii) Drink plenty of water. Yup... 8-10 10oz glasses per day. This contributes to the overall well-being of the body, allowing it to function more efficiently.

iv) No surprise here -- exercise is probably the best, most foolproof metabolism booster ever. It works every time. Aim for 3-5 sessions a week, at anywhere from 20-50 minutes a session.

Generally, the higher the intensity of the exercise, the longer and the greater the metabolism boost.

v) Build some muscle. Muscles directly affect metabolism because they always require energy -- even at times of rest. Ergo, the more muscle you have, the higher your caloric requirements.

So... whaddya say? How about some sessions with the weights? And don't be intimated... the basics of resistance training are easy to master, and the benefits are great -- no matter your age, or your sex.

vi) Supplement with soy protein, or soy based products -- use it in your protein shake or smoothie. Soy protein has been shown to positively affect the body's output of powerful fat-burning thyroid hormones. In fact, quality protein sources should be

plentiful in your diet -- recent studies have indicate that high-protein meals actually raise post-meal thermogenisis (fat burning) and resting energy expenditure (Source: Journal of American College of Nutrition, 21(1):55-61, 2002).

vii) Supplement with Omega 3-6-9 and unsaturated friendly fats -- like flax seed oil, olive oil, fish

oils or check out Udo's Ultimate Oil for a fantastic, high quality oil blend. Oils with a stronger taste (like olive oil, for instance) can be added to salads, while milder tasting oils (like flax seed) can be added directly to protein shakes or smoothies (fresh, unrefined polyunsaturated oils should not be

heated or used as cooking oil). Any way you slice it, friendly fats are a fantastic metabolism-boosting supplement!

Well, there you have it... 7 ways to boost your metabolism without resorting to prescription drugs or over the counter supplements. While their effects won't be dramatic initially, over the long term, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you achieve utilizing these strategies. Good luck!