Get Skinny Time!
Everyone lately has been asking me the golden question: "How do I get rid of THIS?" (pointing to some ample region on their body). Almost daily now, wherever I go. That can only mean one thing.....It's Get Skinny time!!! Yep. Summer is just around the corner, and everyone wants to go out there and let the sun shine where it usually doesn't, and look good while doing it. Well, for those of you that are serious, you know you're gonna have to lessen your calorie intake and get more active, right? That's just Weight Loss 101.
Cut the fat, cut the calories, slow down on the carbs, and watch what you drink: a ton of the calories you consume can come from soft drinks, juices, smoothies, coffee (especially those Starbuck's and Dunkin Donuts creations) and let's not forget, ALCOHOL. There is a reason it's called a BEER belly. Hell, don't think that it's just beer, either. Plenty of people walking around with Pina Colada, Margarita and Long Island Iced Tea bellies too. Trust me. My brother used to have one of those (the Long Island Iced Tea one). Try to save drinking for special occasions and parties only. A glass of wine with dinner on occasion, NOT every day. No one ever has just one glass, and you know it.
I also suggest keeping a food diary. When you write down every little thing you eat, it's much easier to see how much you really do overeat, and you begin to more easily determine what you can really do without. Spend your calories as if they're money on a very strict, limited budget. Only purchase when necessary, and don't waste them on frivolous things like rich desserts and fried foods or fatty foods. Start out with a set daily limit (say, 1500 to 2000) when you're really trying to lose, and try to make as many good choices as you can within that calorie limit. Doing that will make you more conscious of what you take in when you do decide to eat. As you get used to this new eating style, you can give yourself an even smaller calorie budget. Don't go lower than 1000 a day, though, because then you get too close to the starvation threshold. We don't want THAT! In starvation mode, you defeat the purpose. Your body will begin to consume its own muscle tissue to make up for the nutrients you're denying it by not eating enough. Then, instead of looking fit and fabulous, you look unhealthy and sick.
Okay, that's it for now. We haven't even talked about exercising yet. More on that later. Go ahead, get your diary started now. I'll come back and post some good, healthy, low calorie foods you can eat to not feel hungry. Until then...put DOWN that cheeseburger!!! ;)
15 comments:
*LoL* Now.. u, u...yes u reading this comment...FREEZE! Take your hands away from your mouth. Close your mouth. Put that chip back into the bag. Take take it away and offer it to someone else! *LoL*
...Step AWAY from the cake!! Keep your hands where I can see them! Now slowly....SLOWLLLLY...close that fridge!! LOL!
Muahahahha...*LoL... Now, show me the inside of your jacket. I can see that chocolate bar there.
I think alcohol is doing me in. I am not a lush by any means. However, I have been going out on the regular and people always want to drink.
It is my own fault though.
I feel ya on that, Urban. It's hard to just order a seltzer water (which is what you should do if you're going to hang awhile at a party or bar) while everyone else around you is knocking down beer after beer, and shot after shot.
You should have one drink to get it out of your system, and then order seltzer for the rest of the night.
Put a twist of lime in it, and no one knows you're not drinking alcohol. Unless they ask, of course! ;)
If you're going to be going out at least once a week, though, you're gonna have to develop such habits.
My girls already are talking about hanging out after work at a Spanish restaurant on Friday, so I know I'm gonna hit the sangria (and probably some paella!)for sure.
So, I just head it off at the pass:
until Friday I will do at least 4 extra workouts to make up for the fun I'm gonna have UNRESTRAINEDLY on Friday. I already started yesterday.
Here's what I've done:
Yesterday afternoon (Monday) I hit the heavy bag and jumped rope. Took a step class that night.
Today, jumped rope for about 20 mins. before teaching my evening classes.
By the way, all my classes I taught were KICK ASS today. My people were moaning and groaning more than usual as I was putting it down like it was the last workout of your life! ;). But what I was doing was getting in a kick butt workout for me too. So I kicked it WAY up.
After dinner, I watched some TV, and the went back to the gym before closing (around 11pm) and did a 20 min. run, and hit the heavy bag for about 20 minutes. These quick little workouts are a great supplement to all the activity I already do normally just teaching.
Tomorrow, I'll try to jump some rope before teaching my lunchtime classes, and after my 2 classes are done, I'm going to roller blade a good six or seven miles up a bike path close to the job. That evening I will just take off and let my body rest.
On Thursday there'll be a run, some heavy bag, and two classes to teach.
I teach a step and a toning class on Friday morning.
By the time Friday night rolls around, NO WORRIES! I can go to the shindig, eat and drink my face off, and not even THINK about a calorie.
But know that I will only go that extra mile if special occasions are coming up when I'm in the middle of trying to keep a regimen, which right now, I am.
My eating habits are good right now too, with me consuming mostly fresh fruits and veggies, grilled chicken, fish, soups, nuts, V8 juice, and the occasional low cal/low sugar power bar. I'm really big on chicken and broccoli right now from my favorite Chinese restaurant (no corn starch and little oil, I tell the guy). My cheat will be an order of fries once in a while. But that's it. Oh, and that mac and cheese from Whole Foods on Sundays.
If I know a wedding, party, or just a big hang out night is coming, and I want to keep it all in check, I just make sure I'm a real good girl before the festivities begin.
That's how I roll! ;)
You just have to get yourself a system and stick to it!
My main problem is that I stay hungry. No matter what I eat for breakfast, five minutes later I feel like I haven't ate in days. Whether it's oatmeal or some turkey bacon, eggs and toast.
I'm wondering if something is medically wrong because it just doesn't seem right to stay hungry. I don't want to take diet pills to curb that hunger feeling. What's a girl to do??
Jewells, try limiting your carbs. It will be hard the first couple days, but then you'll get used to it.
Eat as much salad, chicken, fish and vegetables as you want those first couple days. That will help you get a handle on what you're putting in your stomach. I'm telling you, it's an imbalance of your body's insulin that is created by taking in too much sugar from the foods you eat. Carbs break down and become sugar in your body.
Eat less of them, and your levels will chill out a bit. I swear, you won't feel AS hungry. When you do feel hungry, eat some grilled chicken and a whole lotta vegetables, or some other lean meat. Drink water and low or no cal drinks. Also, starting a food diary would be a good idea. Just write down what you ate today, all day. Try it, and see what happens.
Thx for the tips. It sounds like I'll be doing double workouts for the next month. Morning and evening. I wish they didn't shut down the 24 hour gym but such is life.
Thank you for the tips as always.
I have a new goal now that I'm doing to D.R. so it should be interesting to see the abs and biceps pop.
Think I'm one of them who can't leave without bakeries. Should look into having more chicken/fish/nuts than bread.
They just need to go ahead and figure out how to make bread, muffins and pies out of broccoli and celery, Akira! LOL!
I really like the "budget your calories" analogy. I'd never really thought of it that way.
I'm sitting here looking at a picture of when I was in much better shape and wondering how that "slipped" away.
Oh well, it's time to "get skinny".
Shoulder Performance & Rehab
Hi, Chris.
It's a method that works, because it does make you more accountable and conscious of everything you put in your mouth. You start to search for foods that are satisfying without all the unnecessary fat, calories and carbs, which only satisfy you for a short time, but make you hungry again all too quickly.
Weight Watcher's and Richard Simmons (Deal a Meal) have been using the calorie budget system for years. It works!
Good idea, fitness diva. I'm really looking forward to something like that. However, the soft bakeries texture will be affected.
I would also just go for plain steamed broccoli and celery with light sauce instead of the additional unnecessary calories to them.
Thanks for the advice. I am going to watch my calorie and carb intake. I used to do the food diary, both written and on fitday.com. I just get tired of doing it after a while, mainly becasue I figure I've learned my routine. Guess not if I am still in the same position.
Back at it again. Gotta lose 29 lbs by July 1.
Great suggestions. I'm currently roughing it on the NutraSystem diet. It's really easy, just using portion control. Keep up the good work.
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