Five-Pound Panic: How to Lose It by Summer, Part 1
By Nutricise nutrition expert Sheila Kelly, M.S., R.D.
(Nutricise) — It's bathing-suit time! Stop thinking about moving to a part of the world where it's still winter so you can cover up. Start losing now. It's not too late.
You started in earnest January 1, but then Super Bowl stepped in. This was closely followed by Valentine's Day…President's Day…and who doesn't celebrate Groundhog Day with at least a few extra helpings of nachos? Suddenly, you're staring beach season in the face with expired sunscreen and five extra pounds still lingering from 2002. If wrapping a bolt of tropical cloth over your bikinied body seems an unlikely option, don't despair! You can lose those five pounds in the next month — and we mean five pounds from fat, not muscle or water. You're ready, you're motivated and you don't have a second to lose! So let's get going…
The five commandments of quick and quality weight loss
#1 Thou shalt not eat after 6 p.m. Sorry, but your metabolism usually isn't awake for the evening news. Many studies show a decrease in metabolic rate with p.m. meals rather than morning ones. If work keeps you late, pack some fruit, low-fat protein and complex carbohydrate to nibble on at the office (leftovers such as a chicken fajita wrap can be quickly microwaved) rather than ordering out or waiting until you arrive home. Try also to build in a mid-afternoon snack with protein so that you don't get too famished and are tempted to gorge.
Eating earlier will also aid your sleep, which may help curtail those 2 a.m. binges. Nightshift employees consume more total calories and more calories from fat, which researchers think explains the weight gain commonly seen among shift workers. Your only reprieve: If you exercise in the evening, you are permitted a small meal of fiber-rich carbohydrate combined with some low-fat protein (try a turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat bread) within an hour after your workout.
#2 Thou shalt drink green tea every day. It sounds crazy but it's true: Green tea helps burn fat. Two recent studies showed a 4 percent increase in metabolism in subjects who consumed green tea (rich in catechins, a type of antioxidant) at each meal versus a placebo. This may seem insignificant, but a woman who requires 1,800 calories a day could burn an extra 500 calories per week just by making this small change. That's an average of seven lost pounds per year!
#3 Thou shalt fill up on fiber. Instead of focusing on fat grams, look at fiber: Research shows that high-fiber meals actually block the digestion of some fat and protein—up to 150 calories per day. With so much focus on 'low-carbing,' people have forgotten how to distinguish between the right carbs—fruits, vegetables and whole grains—and less healthy ones (think Snackwell's Syndrome). The decrease in calorie availability with a high-fiber intake could lead to over a pound per month of weight loss. Increase fiber to at least 35 grams per day—you may be surprised at how challenging this can be.
#4 Thou shalt eat five times per day (the corollary to #1). The frenetic pace of our life lends itself to skipped meals and portion-plus restaurant eating. Unfortunately, this spells doom for most women: Research shows the female metabolism actually slows significantly in response to a large meal versus the same calorie intake spread out over several small meals and snacks. Get yourself on a regular eating schedule of five mini-meals per day, or at least three smaller-sized meals and two small snacks. Spread your fiber intake evenly over these meals as well.
#5 Thou shalt write down everything thou eatest. I've heard it before it bears repeating: Successful losers keep food journals. Equally important as writing down every last morsel is actually scrutinizing which morsels are sabotaging your weight-loss efforts—every night. Grab some paper and start now.
Positive visualization also should be an integral psychological part of your weight-loss regimen. If you think it, you can achieve it (putting on your favorite bikini every night doesn't hurt, either).
Finally, physical activity is an equally important component of any weight-loss program, so get your eating under control first and then we'll give you a plan of attack in the exercise department next week. Good luck!
(Nutricise) — It's bathing-suit time! Stop thinking about moving to a part of the world where it's still winter so you can cover up. Start losing now. It's not too late.
You started in earnest January 1, but then Super Bowl stepped in. This was closely followed by Valentine's Day…President's Day…and who doesn't celebrate Groundhog Day with at least a few extra helpings of nachos? Suddenly, you're staring beach season in the face with expired sunscreen and five extra pounds still lingering from 2002. If wrapping a bolt of tropical cloth over your bikinied body seems an unlikely option, don't despair! You can lose those five pounds in the next month — and we mean five pounds from fat, not muscle or water. You're ready, you're motivated and you don't have a second to lose! So let's get going…
The five commandments of quick and quality weight loss
#1 Thou shalt not eat after 6 p.m. Sorry, but your metabolism usually isn't awake for the evening news. Many studies show a decrease in metabolic rate with p.m. meals rather than morning ones. If work keeps you late, pack some fruit, low-fat protein and complex carbohydrate to nibble on at the office (leftovers such as a chicken fajita wrap can be quickly microwaved) rather than ordering out or waiting until you arrive home. Try also to build in a mid-afternoon snack with protein so that you don't get too famished and are tempted to gorge.
Eating earlier will also aid your sleep, which may help curtail those 2 a.m. binges. Nightshift employees consume more total calories and more calories from fat, which researchers think explains the weight gain commonly seen among shift workers. Your only reprieve: If you exercise in the evening, you are permitted a small meal of fiber-rich carbohydrate combined with some low-fat protein (try a turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat bread) within an hour after your workout.
#2 Thou shalt drink green tea every day. It sounds crazy but it's true: Green tea helps burn fat. Two recent studies showed a 4 percent increase in metabolism in subjects who consumed green tea (rich in catechins, a type of antioxidant) at each meal versus a placebo. This may seem insignificant, but a woman who requires 1,800 calories a day could burn an extra 500 calories per week just by making this small change. That's an average of seven lost pounds per year!
#3 Thou shalt fill up on fiber. Instead of focusing on fat grams, look at fiber: Research shows that high-fiber meals actually block the digestion of some fat and protein—up to 150 calories per day. With so much focus on 'low-carbing,' people have forgotten how to distinguish between the right carbs—fruits, vegetables and whole grains—and less healthy ones (think Snackwell's Syndrome). The decrease in calorie availability with a high-fiber intake could lead to over a pound per month of weight loss. Increase fiber to at least 35 grams per day—you may be surprised at how challenging this can be.
#4 Thou shalt eat five times per day (the corollary to #1). The frenetic pace of our life lends itself to skipped meals and portion-plus restaurant eating. Unfortunately, this spells doom for most women: Research shows the female metabolism actually slows significantly in response to a large meal versus the same calorie intake spread out over several small meals and snacks. Get yourself on a regular eating schedule of five mini-meals per day, or at least three smaller-sized meals and two small snacks. Spread your fiber intake evenly over these meals as well.
#5 Thou shalt write down everything thou eatest. I've heard it before it bears repeating: Successful losers keep food journals. Equally important as writing down every last morsel is actually scrutinizing which morsels are sabotaging your weight-loss efforts—every night. Grab some paper and start now.
Positive visualization also should be an integral psychological part of your weight-loss regimen. If you think it, you can achieve it (putting on your favorite bikini every night doesn't hurt, either).
Finally, physical activity is an equally important component of any weight-loss program, so get your eating under control first and then we'll give you a plan of attack in the exercise department next week. Good luck!
