We found out what real people with high metabolism do right, Fox News reports. Adopt their ways to shrink your waist and get in peak shape.

Eat the correct number of calories

Metabolism is the chemical process in the body that converts the food you eat into fuel. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories per day your body naturally burns at rest, says Dr. Louis Aronne, an obesity specialist at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Knowing your number is key because it means you'll be aware of exactly how many calories to consume to maintain your weight.

Calculate your calorie burn

In order to get a more accurate figure, factor in how active you are by using this calculator. Your result is the number of calories per day you need to maintain your current weight. Want to lose? Shave 500 extra calories a day by eating less, working out more or, ideally, doing a combo. You'll drop 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Make workouts a regular thing

"Doing cardio exercise three to five times a week is associated with a higher metabolic rate at rest," says Wayne Westcott, professor of exercise science at Quincy College, in Quincy, Mass. 

Don't blow off lifting

A pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat. Up to nine times the amount, in fact. "Lifting weights is the top way to stave off age-related metabolic drop," says Dr. Pamela Peeke, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. 

Never yo-yo diet

When you lose weight, you lose muscle and fat, but when you gain it back, it's mostly fat, which burns fewer calories. 

Have a bedtime snack

Forget what you think you know about not eating after 8 p.m. Two recent Florida State University studies found that having 150 calories about 30 minutes before you go to sleep—that's an extra 150 calories added to your day, boosted metabolism in the morning. For best results, your p.m. snack should be protein (we like low-fat milk or cottage cheese). The one caveat is that this applies only if you're exercising regularly.