Summers are here - the scorching heat is in full swing, short shorts are out, lemonades are being served and air conditioners are a man's best friend. While many people look forward to beach season, even more dread it due to the extra pounds they packed on during the winters. Don't lose hope, your plan to lose weight for summer might not be the easiest thing you will do this year, but is definitely worth looking amazing in a swimming suit.
Exercise
While exercise may not be what you want to do, don't worry. You won't have to run a marathon to lose those pesky pounds. Simply incorporate 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine. This could be a brisk walk to and from work, walking your dog, bicycling to the local store or even walking on a treadmill while watching television. It's also easy to start a DVD workout since you can do this any time of the day. If you can't exercise every day, aim for 45 minutes three to four times a week.
Low Sodium
Cut out the salt from your food. Not entirely, but do stay away from those packaged snacks and fast foods as they can have up to three times your daily requirement of sodium in one serving. Excess sodium will make you retain water, making your weight go up, so when you cut out sodium you will lose the water weight your body has been holding on to since the winters.
Drink More Water
Water is your friend. Have 16 ounces of water before and after every meal, before and after you workout and as soon as you wake up. Three to four liters of water every day will help in flushing out excess salt and toxins as well as reduce your appetite for food since you'll feel full longer.
Eat Less
Weight loss is 80% calorie control and 20% of following fads. An average person needs between 1600-2000 calories to maintain their daily weight. You can calculate your body's exact requirement by using an online calorie calculator which will use your height and body weight, along with age, to determine how many calories you need in a day to maintain your current weight. Reduce that number by 500 to have your calorie limit to ensure you lose one pound per week. If you're incorporating exercise, you'll actually lose more than that. It's not advisable to eat less than 1200 calories per day, since your body will think its starving and lower your metabolism making it difficult to lose weight in the future.
Eat Healthy
Whether you're eating 1400 or 1800 calories, you need to make each one count. Focus on eating one gram of protein for every pound of lean muscle on you. For most people, this falls between 120-160 grams. You can use the remainder of your calories any way you want. Just make sure every meal has a protein component and that you focus on eating healthy fats as well as fruits and vegetables rather than snacking on junk food all day. Incorporate homoeopathy for weight loss into your routine as well.
If you follow this advice while you lose weight for summer, you will find yourself at your goal weight in no time.
