Archive for June, 2008
Summer Weight Loss
Summer weight loss — something we all hope for. It’s the time of year that sweat pants and baggy tops just don’t work that well. Instead, we’re faced with shorts, tank tops and bathing suits! Don’t despair; Summer can be a great time to lose weight and feel great!
Quick Weight Loss Tips
Here are some quick weight loss tips to help you start your Summer weight loss plan.
Drink Water…Lots of It!
Yes, it’s true — drinking water does help trim you by making you drop your excess water weight. You know, the bloated feeling you get? Well, you don’t need to feel that way!
Drink half your weight in water in ounces per day, with a minimum of 64 ounces. So if you weight 160 pounds, you need to drink 80 ounces of water a day for weight loss.
Take Advantage of Fresh Foods
Summertime means fresh fruits and vegetables are readily available. Take advantage of the situation to eat more raw fruits and especially vegetables. Think crisp and crunchy and you probably won’t go wrong.
Salt — Stay Away From It!
We tend to eat far more salt than we realize — it’s in nearly everything. And salt is something our body needs — just not in the quantities we take in.
Avoid the obvious culprits, such as fries, chips and fast food in general. And of course, cook without the salt. The advantage? You tend to eat less without salt stimulating your appetite! That all by itself is a big help as far as Summer weight loss goes!
Use the Extra Daylight
The days are longer in summer, so take advantage of the time to get out and move. Go for a walk, take a bike ride, do anything to help get you up and moving.
Summer is also a great time to go swimming and beat the heat. Don’t like the way you look in a swimsuit? There are all kinds of styles out these days to fit any body. And besides, it’s more motivation to get your body looking the way you want it!
X Out the Sugar
Simple sugar in your diet is the biggest cause of your blood sugar levels doing roller-coasters all day long. Get the sugar out of your diet! You don’t need to do it all at once, but day by day start cutting back and then cutting out the worst offenders.
What are they? The banes of Summer weight loss include candy, cakes, ice cream, white rice, white bread, white potatoes, regular pasta and such. Replace them with whole grain foods (rice, pasta, bread), fresh berries and if you must indulge — low sugar varieties of frozen dairy favorites.
Summer Weight Loss — Don’t Put it Off
I know it can be frustrating to face the summertime with extra weight and watch everyone dress in fewer clothes. But you can lose weight during the summer; it’s a matter of making the decision to start today, at your very next meal.
You can look through the main Losing Weight Over 40 website for more tips for weight loss, no matter what time of year.
Tags: Drink Water to Lose Weight
Yes it’s true — drink water to lose weight. How and why?
When you drink water to lose weight you’re doing something your body needs — hydrating it. And when it’s fully hydrated, a couple things happen.
First, you drop your excess water weight. You may not realize it, but you’re probably carrying around between five and ten extra pounds in water. No it’s not fat, but it is excess weight and you may as well get rid of it!
After you drop that extra water, something else happens. It starts with you feeling more motivated to continue your weight loss with a longer-term plan — gives you a jump-start, so to speak. Then, it’s easier for your body to work properly when it’s well hydrated. When your body works better, weight loss is a bit easier.
So, if you want to drink water to lose weight, how much water should you drink? Start with a minimum of 64 ounces (8 glasses), but then move on up to drinking half your body weight in ounces. So, if you weight 200 pounds, you need to drink 100 ounces of water per day.
Can you drink anything else? Well….not really. But you can dress up your water a bit. You can use citrus (lemon and lime slices) to help. You can also, for no more than 32 ounces a day, Crystal Lite. If you do use Crystal Lite, though, drink an extra glass of water on top of everything else.
Drink water and lose weight — yes, it is that simple. But don’t think that water alone with let you make it to your long term goals. For that you need a sensible weight loss program.