Getting your body ready for spring break

A great way to lose weight is to simply follow the laws of nature. In other words you have to burn off more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. In addition, losing weight and getting in better shape requires you to increase the calories burned off through an increase in your daily physical activity levels. Simply deducting calories is not enough because this method focuses on only one of the characteristics of dieting.

Spend more time planning your meals

You know that eating right makes you feel better and look better, but it does take a little time and effort. You have to spend more time planning and preparing your meals.

Eat more foods that rely on spices for flavor, as opposed to the typical American diet, which relies heavily on sugar, fat, salt, and condiments for flavor. You should be looking at losing an average of one to one-and-a-half pounds per week.
Do not look at the scale every day, better look how your clothes are fitting in!


Ways to help weight loss:

1) Eat at least four meals per day - preferably more frequent, smaller meals;

2) Have breakfast to start your metabolism, Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Remember that before breakfast you have not eaten anything in 8 hours. Besides if your breakfast is lousy you will be feeling hungry during the day making you more prompt to eat junk food throughout the day.

3) No late-night snacking - this usually occurs because you skipped breakfast;

4) Drink water a lot of it. Cold water is absorb faster and your body uses extra calories to bring it up to body temperature;

5) Eat fruits and vegetables to make sure you are getting your vitamins and minerals. If you do not like fruits or vegetables use a multivitamin;

6) Avoid cola drinks, and other soda. These things are full of sugar an chemicals.

7) Drink natural fruit juice and herbal teas, i.e. Ginseng, Camomile, or Peppermint; Green tea actually helps you burn fat....I love mint tea, it also helps with digestion and stomach problems.

8) Get at least seven hours of sleep - this will help the body to repair itself and give you energy for the next day; If you are working out, sleeping is the time when your body will build the most muscle and remember the more muscle you have the more fat you will burn.

9) Decrease your intake of table salt. All the food nowadays are full with sodium so you do not really need extra sodium in your Diet. At the beginning it would be difficult but after a couple of meals without salt you will see the difference in the way you feel and you will find a new taste to everything!

10) Avoid alcohol - a glass of wine before dinner for relaxation is okay from time to time.

11) Try to exercise at least 30 to 40 min per day. This will help you keep your muscle and keep your metabolism running fast and burning fat.