October 13, 2011. With summer just around the corner, it’s time to jump into those sexy bikinis and baggies and hit the beach or lounge around the pool… with a vengeance. But for some, as ideal as this may sound, we haven’t quite got rid of those annoying extra kilos we picked up during winter.
All those delicious hot drinks, and comfort foods we overindulged in to warm up the bones over the freezing months of winter have caught up to us… and now the thought of putting on a bikini or baggies is positively terrifying
Both men and woman alike have a distinct hate of the four letter word known as D-I-E-T. It’s such a drag… to get motivated, and being on a diet is time consuming, having to watch and worry about everything you eat.
First things first – get yourself out of that mindset. Most people are resilient to change. In order to really make your diet work you need to commit to change; the minute there is a hint of lack of commitment, your diet will begin to fall apart. Here are 10 easy tips to get your body in shape, in no time:
Portion sizes
1 Remember that portion sizes matter: Most of us don’t think about how much we eat, we just put what’s on our plates into our mouths. You need to be aware of how much you eat. It is good to eat out of smaller plates and bowls as you will automatically eat less.
2 Start with salads and vegetables: Fill up on your salads and veggies first, before getting to the rest of your meal.
3 Hydrate: Drink 8 glasses of water a day to keep from dehydrating. You may have coffee, tea, herbal tea, diet drinks and low calorie juice.
4 Substitute white sugar: Use unrefined brown sugar, honey, fructose or molasses to substitute white sugar.
5 With every diet some exercise must be done: Cardio and toning need to be part of every plan. Swimming, spinning, step aerobics and running are all excellent choices to burn fat. As you burn the fat, you must add toning exercises to build the muscle. Squats are great for legs and butt, push-ups will tone your arms, back, shoulders and chest, and crunches will get those abs tightened and toned.
6 Eat 5 times a day: Starving yourself can actually cause you to gain weight. By not eating, your body assumes there is no food to be had, it doesn’t know dieting, it only knows survival. It causes your body to slow down your metabolism and store fat. Eating five times a day in small portions will prevent you from overeating while maintaining reasonable energy levels, and keeps your metabolism working correctly.
7 Fill up on raw foods: Leave the processed foods on the grocery shelf where they belong.
8 Choose brown instead of white: Choose brown rice instead of white and whole wheat bread instead of white.
9 Change the small things: Cook with olive oil, instead of sunflower oil. Steam your vegetables instead of boiling them. Buy low fat products (milk, butter and yoghurt).
10 Cut the red meat: You don’t have to cut it completely, but try eating more fish and chicken (white meat) then red meat. When eating red meat make sure it’s lean.
These easy tips will have you losing weight in no time, now all that’s left to do is hit the malls. Ladies, buy yourself that gorgeous bikini you saw in the window, and gents get yourself that new pair of baggies… because you’re going to be looking fabulous in no time.
Remember, the first week is the hardest; it will get easier… stay committed to the plan!
For more information on healthy eating tips, exercise and weight loss:
http://www.virginactive.co.za/wellness/view/program/149
How To Lose Weight Fast and Easy – 101 Simple Weight Loss Tips
http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/plans/summer_shorts.htm