How to Lose Those Extra Pounds Just in Time for Summer!

Losing weight can feel like a nightmare, especially when the summer months roll around and you realize that your body is not swimsuit-ready. Perhaps you’re stressing about wanting to look your best for a big class reunion or a wedding. Maybe you’re just carrying around a few extra pounds that have you feeling less than your best.

No matter what the case may be, you want to lose that weight-and quickly! But how can you do that safely, effectively and without practically starving yourself?

There are a lot of fad diets out there that don’t produce genuine or lasting results. And many of them will have you feeling hungry constantly, which sounds like the absolute worst way to go about dieting! The best results you can get are not from a fad diet, but from time and body-honored techniques that reduce your body fat.

Say farewell to starches and sugars

Otherwise known as carbohydrates (or “carbs”), these compounds are burned by the body for the purpose of delivering energy. Cutting back on or eliminating carbs from your diet can cause quick weight loss in terms of water weight as well as actual body fat.

• Body fat – When your body isn’t burning carbohydrates for energy, it will burn stored fat instead.
• Water weight – Cutting down on carbs lowers insulin levels and causes your kidneys to eliminate sodium and water that is responsible for bloating.

Don’t shy away from exercise

Simply eating better foods and smaller portions might reduce weight on its own, but pairing these nutrition choices with regular exercise is going to drive up your results in a big way! Exercising for at least half an hour, three times a week, will burn a great number of calories and propel you forward in your weight loss journey.

Get your daily doses of protein

If you’re looking to lose weight quickly, then the necessity of a higher-protein diet cannot be overstated. Each meal should contain a serving of protein, which comes in many forms:

• Whole eggs (yoke and whites)
• Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, venison
• Fish and seafood, like salmon and shrimp
• Edamame, lentils and tempeh

Protein actually cuts down on food cravings by as much as 60%, which can cause you to consume hundreds of fewer calories each day! In your weight loss ambitions, both long-term and short-term, adequate protein is absolutely essential.

Consider making smaller changes that fit your lifestyle

You don’t have to become a bench-pressing, calorie-counting fitness fan to lose some extra weight. Sure, you might feel compelled to really “dedicate” yourself by going to the gym every day and restricting your caloric intake significantly. But you really, really don’t have to.
Instead, consider making some smaller changes in your life, such as:

• Drink black coffee instead of adding creamer and sugar.
• Substitute your usual order at your favorite lunch spot for something healthier, like a salad instead of high-carb pastas.
• Stop skipping breakfast! A 300-calorie breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism and gives you energy for the rest of the day.
• Squeeze in small amounts of exercise where and when you can. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk to more places, whenever possible.
• Put vegetables in everything. They’ll make your meals heartier, while adding health-boosting vitamins and minerals.

Losing weight doesn’t have to be exceptionally hard, though some changes might be more difficult than others. But if you want to lose weight and keep it away, you have to skip the fad diets and really commit to making changes that are better for your body.