Weight Loss Tips For Summer Fitness

CURB YOUR APPETITE

According to acclaimed health and diet experts, Mehmet Oza and Michael Roizen, one way to curb your appetite is by exercising at the gym. But not just any type of exercise. They emphasize combining cardiovascular exercises and strength training. In their online newspaper column, YOU Docs Daily, they cite a small 16 week study comparing a group of men who did only aerobics for 60 minutes or only weight training, to men who did no exercise at all and to men who combined only 22 minutes of cardio training with lifting weights. Results indicated that men who combined both aerobics and weight lifting were actually less hungry and ate fewer calories. The experts speculate that this powerful combination, cardiovascular training with weight training, might affect blood levels of fats, glucose, amino acids, and even hormones that affect appetite.

MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONS

Pay attention to the way you think and feel. If emotions are stirring up inside of you, and your immediate response is to reach for food, STOP! In fact, plan to stop in advance of your food craving. Have a plan, a pre-organized and structured activity to engage in when that emotional hunger pang strikes.

· Choose a good buddy to call and leave a message if you get that person’s machine.
· Write a page in your journal, before reaching for the food.
· Go online and check all your emails and respond to everyone, before you reach for food.
· Take a five minute walk before opening the refrigerator.
· Talk to someone about the way you are feeling, a friend or a therapist.

ALLEVIATE YOUR STRESS

Stress occurs when you are excited, exhilarated, upset, angry, confused, tired, feeling responsible for more than you think you can handle.

· Take a breather, literally, breathe slowly and deliberately for a few minutes.
· Allow your thoughts to fill your mind and gradually let the thoughts subside as your racing mind slows down.
· List what you want, need or feel you must accomplish and then prioritize the list to only focus on the most immediate concerns
· DO the task NOW that you least want to do, the one that hovers in your thoughts and stresses your mind
· Take some amount of time to just relax your mind and your body.

GET ADEQUATE SLEEP

Have you been getting by on 4, 5 or 6 hours of sleep every night and then “catching up” on the weekends or on only one or two days? Well, recent research suggests that your body does not “catch up.” You need to get adequate sleep every night so that all of your organs can replenish themselves and take a much needed rest from your daytime activities. It seems that getting 7 ½ hours of sleep is important to help your body maintain its weight. Getting less sleep seems to affect your blood sugar levels and can actually interfere with losing weight.

EAT HIGH FIBER FOOD

Remember the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, apples do more than keep your body healthy. Apples provide fiber and help you to have that full feeling, especially if you eat one or two apples a short time before eating your regular meals. Another surprising food that many of us neglect is legumes and beans. Beans are another very important source of fiber that can help to curb your appetite. Yes, they contain some carbohydrates, but are a much better choice than bread or cake or pasta for helping you to feel full.

THE CAMERA PHONE DIET

I love this one! Realage.com often has some wonderful tidbits about keeping yourself healthy. One suggestion is to photograph the food you are about to eat. This causes you to think about what you are eating before you bite into it. Just that brief moment, the time it takes to photograph it, can cause you to stop and think and make a healthier and lower calorie choice in the next few moments.

THE TOOTH EXTRACTION DIET

Now this one is not for everyone, but dentists will love it! Recently, I had to have a tooth extracted. That’s when I discovered this powerful diet. Once your tooth is removed, your gums are bleeding and highly sensitive. It is impossible to chew on any food, so you must liquefy everything you attempt to eat. Result is – food, for the moment, is totally unappealing. You just can’t eat anything. Great way to lose weight. However, that intense pain only lasts for one or two days, and in no time you can go right back to eating as much as you want, all day long.

If you are determined to lose weight, you will! Sometimes, one these seemingly silly ways to lose weight can be exactly what you need to jump start yourself into really following a weight loss diet regime. Here’s to finding your own way, now, so that you can feel proud of yourself and enjoy your slender body in the months to come.