Q: Some serious medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's syndrome can cause your metabolism to slow. If you have an unusually slow metabolic rate, or if your metabolism has slowed significantly in a short period of time, you should consult a doctor.  Your doctor will have to take a blood test to measure your thyroid hormone levels to determine whether your thyroid is producing decreased levels of thyroid hormones that are causing your metabolism to slow. Keep in mind that hypothyroidism is fairly common – 1% to 2% of the population in iodine replete cultures. Cushing's is less common. Even if you don't have a medical condition that is causing your metabolism to slow, your doctor may be able to help you get back on track by providing suggestions or advice on how to boost your metabolism. Your metabolism often will slow when you diet because you're consuming too few calories. To combat this slow-down, make sure you're consuming at least as many calories per day as your body requires to function normally.  The difference between your BMR and the total calories you burn each day represents the range in which you can cut calories to lose weight. If you dip below your BMR, your metabolism will slow and your weight loss will plateau. If you're dieting, be prepared to do the calculations regularly as your BMR will change when you lose weight. People who are heavier tend to have a higher metabolism than people who are lighter. This change in BMR may be part of the reason you find it easy to lose weight in the beginning, but then plateau and find it difficult to lose weight the further along in your diet plan you get. While fiber may not necessarily boost your metabolism, if you eat more fiber, you'll gain less weight over time. Fiber also may increase how much fat your body burns. Cut out white bread and white rice, which lack the fiber your body needs.  Switching to whole wheat bread and pasta and brown rice can up your fiber intake. You'll also increase your fiber by eating more fruits and vegetables. Try to consume around 25 grams of fiber each day. You can get this fairly easily in three regular servings of fruits and vegetables. Just try to have a fruit or vegetable serving with each meal. You've probably heard that you should drink at least six glasses of water a day to keep your body optimally hydrated. Because the water you drink must be warmed to body temperature, drinking ice water burns more calories than drinking lukewarm water, boosting your metabolic rate.  According to one study, drinking six glasses (or 48 ounces) of cold water each day increased the participants' metabolic rates by an average of 50 calories. Even if you change nothing else, this trick alone could allow you to lose up to five pounds in a year. Protein is essential to build and strengthen your muscles. If you don't eat enough of it, you'll lose muscle tissue and strength, especially as you get older. Eating protein also increases the number of calories you burn after every meal.  Lean meats such as chicken and turkey are good sources of protein. If you're a vegetarian, consume soy products, nuts, and protein-rich vegetables such as spinach. Protein-rich foods such as lean meats and fish are also often rich in iron, which is an essential nutrient for raising your metabolism and burning fat. Maintaining an active lifestyle is one of the surest ways to boost your metabolism. If you consistently burn calories through exercise, your body's metabolic rate will adjust accordingly.  Plan on getting at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise every day. This can be as light as a brisk morning walk, or as intense as doing interval training or taking a step-aerobics class. Make sure you include strength training as well as aerobic exercise. Stronger muscles burn more calories, which also will increase your metabolic rate. You don't need to strength train as often as you do cardio – 20 minutes two or three times a week is all you need. . Stress can have a negative effect on your metabolism by elevating your cortisol levels. Your body may also end up holding on to more of the calories that you take in when you are stressed. If your stress is chronic, then this can lead to weight gain, especially around your midsection. Make sure that you make time in your daily routine to practice stress reduction activities, such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga.
A: Rule out chronic medical conditions. Use your BMR to diet effectively. Eat more fiber. Drink cold water. Include protein with every meal. Make cardio and strength-training a regular part of your daily routine. Find ways to reduce stress

Q: Before calculating your grade, you will need to figure out if your teacher is using a point system or a weighted grade system. With a point system, everything you do in the class will be worth a certain number of points. Look for a point score on your assignments or simply ask your teacher to determine if this is how you are being graded. Look at your syllabus, add the numbers listed on completed assignments, or ask your teacher to determine the total number of points available. If you are just trying to find out what your grade is at the moment, add together only the points for assignments you have completed so far. If you want to guess the grade you will end with in the class, you will need to ask your teacher for the total number of points that can be earned in the class. Next, add up all of the points that you earned on your assignments. You can get these numbers from the assignments themselves (if your teacher listed your point score) or you can get them by asking your teacher for your scores. If you are trying to guess what grade you will end up with, you will have to guess how well you will score on future assignments in order to calculate your final grade. You can guess these numbers by choosing a number of points similar to the percentages you have been getting or you can choose a higher number of points (to see what would happen if you study harder) or a lower number of points (to see what would happen if you studied less). Now, take the total number of points that you earned and divide that number by the number of total earned points. You can use the points only for assignments so far or you can use the number of points for the entire class. It depends on the information available to you and your reasons for calculating your grade. An example of this equation would look like this: Sam has completed ten assignments and one test. Altogether, these assignments were worth 200 points. Sam added together their scores and found that they had earned 175 points. Sam calculates the grade (175/200=.87) to find a score of 87% for their class grade.
A:
Determine if you are on a point system. Determine the total number of earned points. Determine the total number of points you earned. Determine your percentage.