Get Sexy For Summer: Diet Plan
Get Ready For A Summer Slim Down
It might still be cold and miserable outside right now, but it's not too early to start thinking about summer and how you want to look. We all know it's easy to start packing on a gut over the winter months -- and that's exactly why it's time to start thinking about how to lose it again! There are a whole lot of diet plans out there, some worthwhile, some not, some downright hazardous to your health.
But regardless of which way you go on diet (low-fat, low-carb, whatever) there are a few ground rules to keep in mind:
• Cut back on calories. Now granted, you can't say "a calorie is a calorie," and sugar calories (including beer!) or junk food calories are "worse" than protein calories in a lot of ways. But, a calorie you don't eat is a calorie you don't have to burn off again, either.
• Get some whey in you. If you've ever tried the protein diets. You know that protein stays with you a heck of a lot longer than carbs or sugars. Try some whey in shakes or smoothies for a healthy, pure source of protein and see if that fills you up enough to keep the hunger pangs away.
• Meat cuts fat. Sounds counter-intuitive, but the fact is that your body works harder to digest lean meat than it does carbohydrates or vegetables. By the time that meat is digested, it's just about a wash. So include some lean pork, fish, chicken or beef in every meal you can.
• Stay away from fried foods. It's too bad that so much fried stuff tastes so good, but it's pretty common knowledge that something like French fries or chips will cause your blood sugar to spike, then crash again pretty quickly, leaving you hungry and tired. That's not even thinking about all the fat in fried foods or the suspected carcinogen acrylamide. Be smart and stay away from 'em.
• Fiber up. Fiber slows down the absorption of food into your bloodstream, helping you feel full sooner and helping to stabilize your blood sugar levels. You don't even have to be conscious of eating fiber-rich foods. There are all kinds of supplements or pills that will do the same thing. Not to mention that it keeps things moving through your system...
• Omega-3s. We've known for awhile about the health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids, which is found in fish, nuts, and eggs. But the latest research also looks like Omega-3s reduce inflammation through the whole body, meaning less-inflamed muscles and a higher metabolic rate.
And the one thing that you knew already— none of this is going to be all that effective unless you're on some sort of exercise program. Regardless of what diet you decide to follow, you've got to be burning more calories than you're taking in if you're going to lose weight. Get an exercise plan that's heavy on the cardio workout (treadmill, stair stepper, bicycle, swimming, running, jumping rope, even walking), get after it and stick with it.
