You want to shed weight for an upcom-ing event. Do you (1) accept how you look and detag Facebook pics later, (2) stop eating, or (3) follow our simple plan? Yeah, we thought so.
So choose at least four of the nutritionist- and
fitness expert-backed tips that follow, and vow to work them into your schedule
for seven days straight. If you feel ambitious, tack on a few more. The more
you pick, the more weight you'll lose. If you start now, by this time next
week, you'll look and feel way lighter.
Drink Mainly
Water
A sports or energy drink, fruit smoothie, or light
beer — each serving contains about 100 calories. Yet these beverages don't
satisfy you the way 100 calories of food does, so they're a waste. Other
liquids may be high in sodium and carbohydrates, which trick your body into
retaining water, puffing you out.
Water, on the other hand, has zero calories and carbs
and little to no sodium, making it the perfect slim-down drink. And strangely,
it actually helps flush out excess water weight as well as jump-starts your
metabolism. If it's just too boring, add lemon wedges or mint leaves.
Ban White Bread
and Pasta
Cutting out all white grain products — such as white
rice, spaghetti, sandwich rolls — will instantly slim you down because the
simple carbs in these foods cause bloating, especially around your belly.
"Simple carbohydrates wreak havoc on your weight because they're digested
very quickly, leaving you hungry and more likely to overeat later," says
Jana Klauer, M.D., author of The Park Avenue Nutritionist's Plan.
To go a step further, instead of replacing them with
healthier yet still bloat-triggering whole-grain bread products, substitute
vegetables for the week. This way, a chicken sandwich becomes chicken salad,
and chips and dip turn into carrots and dip. The complex carbs from vegetables
are digested more slowly, so you remain full longer. And because veggies are
mostly water, they also help flush out excess water weight.
Do Cardio 30
Minutes a Day
Any workout that gets your heart rate up will burn
calories. But you'll use more calories if you pick a cardio routine that
engages multiple muscles simultaneously, says Wendy Larkin, personal-training
manager at Crunch's Polk Street gym, in San Francisco.
Three to consider: spinning, cardio kickboxing, and
boot-camp workouts. Half an hour of each torches 200 to 300 calories while
toning up your arms, legs, and core so everything appears sleeker and tighter.
You'll burn even more calories per session if your
workout incorporates interval training: alternating short bursts of intense
cardio with slower activity. Experts aren't sure why it works, but trainers
swear by it.
Drink Coffee an
Hour Before Working Out
This is the one exception to the stick-to-water-only
rule: Just as a coffee run makes your morning at work more productive, a
pre-exercise cup of java with a splash of skim milk (about 11 calories) or
black (just 5 calories) will energize your workout, explains Dr. Klauer. "You'll burn more calories
without realizing you're pushing yourself harder."
Have Nightly
You-on-Top Sex
Not that you needed an excuse to hook up with your guy
every night, but the fact is, this position is a fat blaster. Being on top
means you do the rocking, and the more active you are, the more calories you
burn — up to 144 for 30 minutes.
Sex also pumps levels of feel-good neurotransmitters,
endorphins, helping you ride out food cravings. Get on top in reverse-cowgirl
(i.e., facing away from your guy) to give your thigh and butt muscles an extra
push.
Do 36 Push-Ups
and Lunges Every Other Day
These gym-class staples will help sculpt muscle, so
you'll sport a more streamlined appearance. Do three sets of 12 of each
exercise every other day. "Push-ups target your upper body, while lunges
work your butt, hips, and thighs," says Larkin. Quick tip: Make sure your
back and legs remain in a straight line during your push-ups; it'll improve
muscle tone. Also, you can build even more muscle with the lunges if you hold
free weights in each hand while doing them.
Sleep 30 Minutes More a Night
That extra half an hour, whether you sleep 5 hours or
8, can refresh you enough that you will make better food choices (in other
words, no quick sugar fix for breakfast in search of energy) and won't feel
lethargic and skip the gym, says registered dietician Esther Blum, author of Eat,
Drink, and Be Gorgeous. More restful sleep (7 to 8 hours is best)
also boosts your metabolism. And since your body builds muscle while you
snooze, getting zzz's equals better muscle tone.
Make One Food
Sacrifice
Cutting out one indulgence — such as the chips you
have with lunch or the chocolate dessert you eat after dinner — can subtract a
few hundred calories from your diet, which translates into less flab, says
Blum. "Your body won't even notice their absence."
Don't Let the
Camera Add Pounds
Push your chin forward, hold your arms away from your
body, and turn slightly sideways from the camera with one foot in front of the
other.
GET THINNER IN
HOURS
Really. These slenderizing effects may not be
permanent, but they'll help you look hotter in your skinniest jeans on very
short notice.
Eat Salmon for
Lunch
It's packed with nutrients that build muscle tone and
give your skin a healthy glow. Some nutritionists claim that consuming a
portion (doesn't matter how it's cooked) may immediately make your face look a
bit more contoured.
Stand Up
Straight
Keeping your spine rigid and your shoulders back while
sucking in your belly toward your spine gives you a slimmer, more streamlined
middle.
Do Squats and
Sit-Ups
Bodybuilders use this technique before competitions
because it adds definition to muscle. Do three sets of 12 of each exercise to tighten
your abs, butt, and legs temporarily.
Pop an Antigas
Pill
Take
one of these chewable tablets, sold over-the-counter at drugstores, to relieve
bloating in your abdomen and break up gas bubbles in your digestive track,
leaving you with a flatter tummy.
source:http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/advice/a5614/drop-5-pounds-in-a-week-0509/
