It's not like we all don't know it's coming, it's just easier to put it off till the last second. But never fear, there are some easy and fast ways to lose weight quickly. And summer even offers a few advantages over the other colder months.
For those us that like a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverages, stay away from the sweet drinks. Check out the calories in some of these popular summer drinks.
Mai Tai ? 225 calories
Banana Daiquiri ? 230 calories
Long Island Iced Tea ? 275 calories
Pina Colada ? 280 calories
Zombie ? 325 calories
Wow, three Zombies and besides not being able to walk, you just consumed almost 1000 calories with no food content. Even a basic mixed drink has about 65-75 calories, a glass of red wine can be 80-100 calories, and a beer can be 100. Some experts say these calories don't convert to fat, others say they can. A good way to still have a glass of wine is to add soda or plain water, that cuts down the intake of alcohol. Or pick one of the new low caloric beers, there are several.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are readily available in both grocery stores and local farmer's markets in the summer. Many of these are both fiber rich and have minimal calories to boot. So it's easy to put together some great low cal meals summer style. Summer weight loss can be easy and effective including fiber rich fruits and vegetables.
I've been searching for the right diet plan for the past year and have found some great tips for easy, fast, and effective summer weight loss. Obviously these meals will work at any time of year but they really shine when you add fresh vegetables and outdoor grilling to the mix.
Foods high in fiber are you're best choice for at least two meals every day. Fiber can help reduce cholesterol and glucose in the blood. Most nutritionists recommend that women should get around 25 grams per day and men around 35. Avoid fried foods, bread, any kind of sodas, and creamy sauces. Make sure you drink enough water; it's easy to get dehydrated in the summer heat.
Here's a short list of fruits and vegetables with fiber content (always leave the skin on when possible ? that's where a lot of the fiber comes from):
Fruits
Apples ? medium, 1, 5 grams
Apricots ? medium, 3-4, 1 gram
Avocado ? medium, 1, 12 grams
Banana ? medium, 1, 4 grams
Blueberries ? cup, 1, 4 grams
Cantaloupe ? cup, 1, 1.2 grams
Figs - medium, 3, 5.5 grams
Grapefruit ? medium, half, 6 grams
Orange ? medium, 1, 3.5 grams
Peach ? medium, 1, 2 grams
Pear ? medium, 1 5 grams
Plum ? medium, 1, 1 gram
Raisins ? oz, 3, 3 grams
Raspberries ? cup, 1, 8 grams
Strawberries ? cup, 1, 4 grams
Vegetables
Beets ? cup, 1, 3 grams
Beet Greens ? cup, 1, 4 grams
Broccoli ? cup, 1, 2 grams
Brussels Sprouts ? cup, 1, 3 grams
Cabbage ? cup, 1, 4 grams
Carrot ? medium, 1, 2 grams
Cauliflower ? cup, 1, 4 grams
Corn, Sweet ? cup, 1, 4.5 grams
Green Beans ? cup, 1, 4 grams
Celery ? stalk, 1, 1 gram
Onions ? cup, 1, 3 grams
Peas ? cup, 1, 9 grams
Peppers, Sweet ? cup, 1, 2.5 grams
Potato, Baked ? medium, 1, 5 grams
Spinach ? cup, 1, 4 grams
Summer Squash ? cup, 1, 3 grams
Sweet Potato ? cup, 1, 6 grams
Tomato ? medium, 1, 1 gram
Squash ? cup, 1 5.5 grams
Zucchini ? cup, 1, 2.5 grams
And you can add in the many possible beans and grains and it's easy to hit that 25 or 35 grams of fiber per day. We need to throw in some protein too, maybe lean meat, fish, eggs, even peanut butter. There's little agreement on how much protein you need and what kind. Some experts say as little as 47 grams (think of two eggs), some say around 10% of your daily caloric intake.
But keep in mind that most vegetables have protein (potato = 7 grams) so if you stay with small amounts of high protein foods like lean meat and fish you'll get enough protein. 5-6 ounces of fish or lean meat per meal is fine.
There is no need to torture yourself in your desire for summer weight loss. If you really want a piece of bread to go with that meal, do it. Or if you feel like having something fried, go ahead; just keep the portion down to reasonable amount. Don't super-size anything.
Which brings us to another area of concern when trying to lose a little weight. Snacks! We all want them, especially when we lower our caloric intake. The best way to deal with that urge is to have something that feeds the need. Want something sweet? Go with ripe fruit, something crunchy, go with pumpkin seeds.
So a good daily meal schedule with lots of fiber and protein, and fewer calories would look like this:
Morning ? Breakfast
Bran cereal with a cup of raspberries and low fat or 2% milk.
(Change out the type of bran and type of fruit every day)
Mid-day ? Lunch
Peanut Butter Sandwich (use whole grain bread) with 2 cups of raw vegetables.
(Substitute the peanut butter with 5-6 ounces of grilled fish, lean hamburger. Swap out vegetables with fruit, or 3 bean salad.)
Evening ? Dinner
One vegetable cold soup, 5-6 ounces of lean meat or fish, vegetables garnished with vinegar, oil, and seasoning on a kabob.
(Swap out the meats, vegetables. Use lemon or lime juice instead of vinegar. Stir fry instead of grill. You can use olive oil in very small quantities ? remember ? no torture necessary)
The flexibility is endless, keep the portions reasonable, and if you use any sauces or oil make sure you use just enough to flavor or properly coat for light grilling or frying. The key is moderation, both in size of servings and types of garnish or sauces.
Many experts have different opinions on daily calorie amounts, some say 1600, some around 2000. I chose the 1600 to base my daily intake since I don't always get to exercise as much as I'd like.
Speaking of exercise, there are many opportunities to work some light exercise into your daily summer routine. Taking the dog for a walk during the early or late hours during the cooler times is good for you and the dog. Walking to the neighborhood pool with the kids is a good too. Park farther from the store, take the stairs, go window shopping, or go to some outdoor activity like art or craft shows.
Always take some water; the summer heat can dehydrate you quicker than you think. Pick the cooler times of day when possible, early in the morning or late in the evening. Don't over do it, consider your foot wear, and start slow if you haven't walked far in a long time. Slowly work up your distance to what you have the time for and slowly pick up the pace.
Summer weight loss can be easy, fun, and keep you healthy. Just be a little creative in your activities and take advantage of the fresh produce to eat healthier.
What you might not know though, is that food has another important role in our lives: Comfort and entertainment. Culturally and instinctively we prepare and serve foods to comfort those who have experienced loss, to celebrate joy, or to show friendship and love. And that's where emotional eating can cause many problems.
What Is Emotional Eating? Emotional eating is simply the act of eating to feel better emotionally. We, as normal human beings, see food as more than just an energy source for our body. We like to enjoy our food, and there's nothing wrong with that. Science tells us though, that some foods actually promote good feelings by causing certain "feel-good" chemical reactions in our brains. And that's when eating can become a problem: Because some people eat to "feel better"... or because they can't deal with strong emotions such as pain, anxiety, stress, joy, or boredom.
Emotional eaters turn to food as a source of distraction from dealing with feelings. It's often a vicious cycle though: People eat to deal with their bad feelings, then feel bad for having done so, yet turn around and eat again to soothe the guilty feelings caused by the first round of emotional eating. Needless to say, emotional eating can lead to serious eating disorders, weight gain, obesity, and depression.
How Do I Know If I'm An Emotional Eater? Do you turn to food when you're not hungry, but sad, stressed, or bored? Do you think about food constantly, to the point of feeling obsessed?
Do you regularly try diets and fail - leading to guilt and further over eating? Do you think about or attempt to purge excess food by throwing up or using laxatives? Do you exercise compulsively when you think you've eaten too much?
If you answered yes to any of the above, there's a good chance you're an emotional eater and you could be endangering your health.
How Do I Overcome Emotional Eating? The first step is recognizing and acknowledging you have the problem. Fixing the problem will take time and persistence, because you effectively need to train yourself out of bad eating habits and into good.
Since emotional eating is caused by using food as a coping strategy for emotional distress, dieting tends to just create more problems, because if you fail to stick to your eating plan you're likely to feel quite guilty. And as an emotional eater, that guilt will only lead you to eat more.
So instead of trying to focus on what you're eating, or how much: You'll need to work at finding other ways to cope with negative emotions. You could try simple things like self talk, chewing gum, or getting busy with work or hobbies when emotions run high and you find yourself digging through the fridge even though you aren't hungry. You could also try self help tapes and books, or find a support buddy to call. You might also consider getting help from a Personal Coach or Psychotherapist who deals with emotional eating.
Sometimes you'll need the help of a professional to make these changes
As you work on replacing comfort food eating with other habits and responses, you'll feel much better about yourself both emotionally and physically. And you'll be well on your way to living a much healthier, slimmer life!
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