Spring is here and my wedding is less than 4 months away! This is post #1 in my special Spring Cleaning Week. In this post I will share with you my fool proof tips on weight loss without the expensive gym membership or hours spent on the breaking a sweat! People believe that cleaning can only happen on the exterior, but truth is it all starts from within. Now I am not trying to get “spiritual” with you I am simply sharing what to me is a fact. Yes a fact. What you think about, what you eat and what you believe in really do shape up to be what you look like, feel like, and what your life is like. In this first post I would like to share my tips on cleaning up and taking control of your body. I do not claim to be a fitness guru or health nut, I am however a very normal girl who loves food, who was raised on a rice and beans diet , who was NOT blessed with a fast metabolism who has lost and kept off about 45lbs without any “Diets”
This picture here shows my transformation from a chubby “Tortilla Girl” as I was once called to someone who still LOVES tortillas, but can strut her stuff in skinny jeans, run half marathons and not live on a lettuce diet. Ok so without any more complications I will answer the “How I Did It” question and share with you my full proof plan of how to cut the fat and keep it off.
1. Understand You Body Type
See we are NOT all created equal. Some people have big bobbies, others big thighs, some have a booty and others have big arms. Haven’t you noticed your friends are all shaped differently? Check out the pictures below and find your body type.
Many of us who have what I call the “Pear Shape or Type 2” are so adamant on being a “Type 1” or those of us who have broad shoulders or are not petite keep comparing ourselves to little 4 foot nothing girls. Let me share this with you… you will not and cannot look like the other person. Once you identify your body type you can identify what has to and can go and what your born with and should just learn to love. For example, I am a Body Type 1. I struggle with love handles. I eat a pea and it goes straight to my love handles! But I have slim legs and a decent booty. So knowing my shape I can work on those areas.
2. Understand Metabolism
Someone once told me “Your body’s metabolism is like a computer. When you do not feed it, it will go on sleep mode and on sleep mode it stops working and stops burning calories.” So because of this you want to get rid of the idea of eating 3 square meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch Dinner is old school. The way the fitness and nutrition experts recommend is 5 small meals day.
Try this:
Breakfast
Morning Snack
Lunch
Afternoon Snack
Dinner
Making sure each time you eat is roughly approximately 300 calories with 2 of those meals stretching to 500 calories.
3. Count Your Calorie Budget
Point #2 is connected to point #3. Do yourself a favor and visit http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
Input all the information and find out what your ideal calorie count is and think of that as your “Calorie Budget” for the day. I suggest you begin to pay attention to what you eat and especially what you drink. It is shocking to learn that some drinks have as many calories as a burger! Yes that fancy frappachino you are drinking is loaded with calories and fat.
4. Beware of the 3 Ds – Drinks, Dressings and Desserts
I know I love all three too! Now I know some of you loooooooooooove your Cokes in the morning and your colorful fruit juices and loads of dressings on your salads. But I promise you this single step of eliminating these three items from your daily diet can make a world of a difference. Pay attention to what you drink. Sometimes these drinks can pack more sugar and calories than a cheeseburger! And that salad that was healthy, once you poor your ranch dressing on it is equivalent to the fat and calories in chili cheese fries. So follow my tips.
The only liquids I drink are:
1. Water
2. Coffee or Team
3. My favorite low sugar and calorie protein shake.
4. Wine
5. Non-Fruity mixed drinks…. Stick to Liquor and seltzer or tonic.
Dressings and Sauces …
1. Always ask for sauce and dressing on the side
2. When eating pasta choose a red tomato based sauce over milk and cheese based sauces.
Dessert
1. Know what satisfies your sweet tooth and find a healthy alternative to it. For example I LOOVEEEEEEEEEE ice cream so a low fat soft serve yogurt or sorbet does the trick with half the calories.
5. Sharing Is Caring and Also a Great Way To Maintain Your Weight.
We live in a “Super Sized” world. Everything is Ginormous…. So my trick is sharing or splitting. If I am out eating at a restaurant I either share my dinner or once I get my dish I immediately ask for a to go box. Eat only half and save the other half for next days’ lunch or eat it later that evening.
Lastly I want to remind you that everything in moderation is key and that these are simply my tips that I follow til this day. I enjoy great food way too much to completely eliminate one type or another. So instead I just keep up with these 5 simple steps and keep trotting along from great restaurant to great restaurant. Life is too short… eat dessert first!
What are your “stay in shape tips” share with us please, we would like to know.
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