Yes, it’s summer in Florida again!
Not that we ever really bundle up in fall and winter, but this is the time of year when we’re all conscious about those dreaded words, “swimsuit season.” So if your anxiety levels are rising because those few extra pounds are stubbornly staying put, here are 10 ways to lose weight fast!
“Good news,” says world-renowned fitness and nutrition expert Jay Cardiello. “The secret to quick weight loss doesn’t mean you need to spend more time in the gym.” Writing for Shape magazine, Cardiello provides helpful tips, accompanied by a fast-paced video, “The Weight-loss Workout Formula.”
Cardiello bases his workout on metabolic conditioning or interval-training workouts, which he says win for burning the most calories during and after your workout, since they combine multi-joint exercises and cardio. The master of fitness didn’t claim this would be easy – just fast! And no, Cardiello does NOT advise cutting calories to mere survival levels for this program. He recommends 1,200 to 1,600 calories daily, and keeping a food journal.
Modifying your food intake – rather than slashing calories – is also behind the step-by-step diet plan created by fitness site Thrive/Strive: “How to Lose 10 Pounds in One Week Without Starving.” The program is essentially a carb detox, high-protein diet, with a big emphasis on hydration. For example, the first step before breakfast is the classic glass of lemon water to kick-start the metabolism.
The basic breakdown is fruit and nuts for breakfast (after drinking the lemon water); a protein-dominant lunch (NO BREAD); fresh spinach salad drizzled with olive oil for a snack; two hard-boiled eggs and green salad for dinner; and a liter of green tea after dinner (although not too close before bedtime, for obvious reasons). Green tea is full of antioxidants that will help clean out your system, like the lemon water. By speeding up your metabolism, green tea will help your body burn fat while you’re sleeping. How sweet is that?
Just in case you need to be reminded of what not to eat, our blog post of October 2017 – “7 Foods to Avoid if You Want to Lose Weight” – lists all of the usual suspects: fried foods, high-carb foods, pizza (sorry), soft drinks, fruit juice, alcohol (especially beer) and any food with added sugar. You already know this, but the post explains exactly why each is bad, and how any one of them can seriously undermine your weight-loss efforts.
Speaking of undermining your weight-loss efforts, our blog post of February 2018 has a self-explanatory title: “9 Common Mistakes People Make When Trying to Lose Weight.” These mistakes can be categorized as focusing on what you can’t have as opposed to what you can, improper nutrition (not enough protein and fiber, for example), and lack of hydration and exercise.
Either of these programs can get results if followed faithfully, and boost your self-confidence at the pool or beach! However, Cardiello acknowledges, “Losing weight is a 24-hour-a-day lifestyle that consists of proper sleep, nutrition, hydration, and fitness.” Once you reach your summer weight goal, make sure you maintain it by committing to a healthy lifestyle year ‘round! If you need help, Dr. William E. Newsome and our expert team at Solutions Weight Loss can discuss your options for a personalized, medically supervised weight loss program. Schedule a consultation to learn more about what we offer.
