‘Tis the season for swimsuits and boy, I can’t wait to take a dip in the pool! No matter the style of swimwear you prefer, I think we can all agree they look better when you feel good about yourself. So, to make you excited about swimsuit season, I have some tried-n-true weight loss tips for you! Now, before we begin, please remember I’m not a professional nutritionist, doctor or fitness trainer. I’m just telling you what works for me to give you some inspiration.
Long story short…I bulked up last year in muscle and weight by lifting heavy weights and drinking protein shakes. There was just one problem…I’m a petite woman and with my muscle memory gymnastics days, that equaled BULK, BULK, BULK. That was NOT the look I was after. So I started with a nutritionist who encouraged me to try a cleanse that included Chinese tinctures and over-loaded vitamin shakes. To say the least, the Chinese herbs and vitamin overload literally made me sick. I dumped that plan immediately right into the trashcan! The only good thing that came out of this frightful cleanse was that I learned to like Bok Choy steamed with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos all-purpose seasoning. No more soy sauce for me!
So, the search went on to figure out how to lose these unwanted pounds. I met with my incredible internist for my annual check-up and she recommended plain and simple: NO SUGAR! I said, “What? No carbs? No Swedish Fish? No wine? What????”
My friends and fans, I’ll tell you right now how to lose that extra weight….here we go…
(Disclaimer: this is not scientifically based on any research that I’ve done. This is a combination of information I’ve compiled from various resources and is based on what’s worked for me. I’m not a nutritionist or a scientist; I’m a life stylist who is enjoying a healthier life style.)
1. First and foremost, you’ll NEED to put your WILLPOWER hat on and you’ll need to keep it on straight!
2. Buy a Nike Fuel Band, or something similar, and walk 10,000 steps a day. You don’t have to go to the gym, but you do need to walk every day. Yoga, jogging and light weights are great, too!
3. Drink 100 ounces of water daily. Each morning, place your water containers out on the counter and drink every last drop!
4. Eat only green veggies and proteins – skip sugar and carbs. It’s okay to start out eating some fresh fruit because of the sugar cravings, but after two weeks your sugar cravings will dissipate if you have, what? Yes, WILLPOWER!
5. Remember to eat breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day! I love eggs, so I’ll fry up leftover veggies or protein from the night before, add an egg or two and voilà, I have a sumptuous meal. And as an added plus, this protein and veggie combo sustains me for several hours.
6. For snacks, I love low-fat mozzarella sticks and celery sticks. I also love cornichons pickles. When I get a craving for salty potato chips, I crunch on a cornichon instead! They’re tart and vinegary and take away my craving. I don’t know why, but it works! I also like the veggie low-sugar Pressed Juicery drinks for on-the-go.
7. Take daily herbal vitamins and drink more water. I drink warm lemon water the minute I wake up and I’ll also have an Emergen’ C packet mixed in water.
8. Don’t eat anything after 7:30 p.m. I know that’s hard, especially if you’re working late or watching TV and all those junk food ads are thrown towards you. Just do your best and don’t eat late at night. Instead, drink a nice hot cup of chamomile tea before you go to sleep.
9. Need a sweet? Eat sugar-free Jell-O or sugar-free popsicles. They taste so good; you won’t believe they’re sugar-free!
10. And as always, check with your doctor before trying any new diet regime.
What I learned from all of this is that it’s NOT about how much exercise or cardio you do; it’s all about what you put in your mouth! Studies say that a good weight and healthy lifestyle is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. I’m living proof that this diet regime works! I have plenty of energy, feel great in the morning and my favorite jeans fit again!
Sound easy? Try it out for five weeks and then get back to me on your progress. I’d love to hear your experience! Need help getting started? Just Ask!
The great thing about this diet is that it doesn’t cost a lot of money from buying fresh vegetables, fresh meats and fresh fruits. And even if you buy organic veggies, which I do, it still isn’t as expensive as hiring a nutritionist who encourages cleanses with Chinese herbal tinctures and concoctions. Sheesh!
Stay healthy and slink into that swimsuit!
