Dieting and losing weight are probably the most common New Year's Resolutions that anyone ever makes. And yet, no matter how sincere we seem to be in January, sticking to those resolutions come February or March seems to be near impossible. So, what is it that slows us down or stops us in our tracks? And how can we jump those hurdles and keep pressing on toward our goals so we can get fit in time for summer?
One of the most common misconceptions about weight loss and dieting is that we must cut fat out of our diet in order to drop pounds. This simply is not true. Some fat in your diet is actually essential to good health, and cutting it out can even prevent weight loss, at least long term. To get fit in time for summer, make sure you get plenty of healthy fat from good sources such as cheese, nuts, yogurt, and meat.
Another myth about dieting is that you cannot eat sugar or desserts. While it's true that you should try to cut back on these high-calorie, low nutrition foods, cutting them completely out of your diet may make you crave them more, which will only cause you to fall off the wagon later on. Of course binging on too many sweets won't help you lose weight and get fit, but having the occasional treat now and then might help you stay on track.
Something else to watch out for are your beverages. Most people don't realize how many calories they consume in what they drink each day. Soft drinks and fruit juice are loaded with sugar. Even all natural fruit juice is not a "freebie" in the dieting game. Coffees have a lot of calories if you use cream or whole milk to whiten them, sugar, and flavored syrups. Read all your drink labels carefully, and choose wisely. Overall, choose water.
What should you eat a lot of? Try to include as many fruits and vegetables as you can within your day. "Five a day" may not actually be enough. Take a look at your snacks and see if you can substitute some of those high-carbohydrate foods like granola bars and toast with bananas, apples, carrot sticks, or dried cranberries. Get plenty of protein through lean meats, nuts, beans, and dairy products. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, try some high-protein meal bars that are low in sugar. And make sure that you get plenty of calcium, either through dairy products, or in a dietary supplement.
But the best thing you can do to help your body burn more calories is regular exercise. Aim for structured exercise of some kind at least four times a week; more if you can squeeze it into your routine. You can also try doing your exercise in short bouts of five to ten minutes each and then tallying them up at the end of the day. Not only does this make it easier to fit exercising into your day, it also means you're raising your heart rate multiple times a day which keeps your metabolism burning at a higher rate for longer. If it's too cold to exercise outside, use a stationary bike, jog in place, or do a workout DVD.
So, to get fit for summer, change your diet and get moving. The days are ticking by, but you still have time.
Author Resource:
Claire Bennetic is a swimming teacher interested in Low carb diet .
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