lil' bits of this-n-that: Get Your Body Into Swimsuit Shape With Easy Tips

The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism is. That's why men can eat a bunch and never gain a pound. The number of calories needed per day to sustain vital body functions is called your resting metabolic rate. For women this ranges from 1,200 to 1,600 calories. Average guy's resting metabolic rate is 1,400 to 2,400 calories. Whether you want to lose, gain or stay the same weight, here are some tricks to help you figure it all out.

Working with free weights or weight machines will build muscle, thus burn calories.
Caffeine plus an antioxidant in tea give metabolism a jolt.
Being dehydrated will only slow all your body functions down. Drinking eight glasses of water a day is great, but even more may increase your metabolic rate. Making them icy may further your ability to burn calories.

Alternating bursts of high-intensity activity, such as jumping jacks, with lower-intensity cardio, like jogging will rev up your metabolism more than cardio alone does.
If you're over 30 your metabolism is slower than it was in your 20's so do an extra three minutes of high-intensity activity.

Red-hot chili peppers fire up your calorie furnace. The compound called capsaicin found in chili pepper and mustard seed can help your body burn extra calories.

Here's the formula to figure your personal resting metabolic rate.
your weight in pounds x 4.3
then add 655
then add your height in inches x 4.7
once you get this subtotal, subtract your age x 4.7
the answer is your resting metabolic rate.

After figuring mine on the calculator, I came up with 1,446.

Now, to get a ballpark figure for how many calories you need daily, multiply your resting metabolic rate by:
                         1.2               if you are sedentary.
                         1.375           if you work out two to three times a week.
                         1.55             if you work out three to five days a week.
                         1.725           if you work out six to seven days per week.

Now, if I keep track of my calorie intake daily, drink lots of icy cold water, eat a spicy taco or two and get a lil' bit of exercise every week, I'll be looking good come swimsuit time.