Top 5 Ways to lose 5 pounds in 7 days

1. Eliminate all bread, pasta,salt  and sugar from your diet. These types of foods will slow down your metabolism and cause you to hold on to your weight.  

 2. Eat a small meal consisting of protein and complex carbohydrates every 2 to 3 hours. These types of foods will speed up your metabolism and eating frequently speeds it up even more.

3. Eliminate fat from your diet. You can’t lose fat if you keep eating fat. Your body will just burn the fat you are eating and never go deep into your fat stores.

4. Exercise 30 minutes a day after eating your small meal. Make sure it’s the right type of fuel…protein and complex carbohydrate. Lots of people think eating before exercise will interfere with digestion but in the proper combination, this is the best way to exercise.  

5. Drink at least 100 ounces of water a day. “I’m gonna flush that fat right out of my gut!”

This is tough but it works…I lost 5 pounds just last week doing this. Commit to doing it for one week and you’ll be hooked on this new way of eating. 

Top 7 Ways to Avoid Snacking

Memorize this list of things to do when you get the urge to do some illegal snacking .  

1. Keep your hands busy. Can’t eat if your using your hands are busy doing something else.

2. Stay out of the kitchen!

3. When you feel the urge to snack, go outside, walk around your house, lift hand weights, anything to move your body. Exercise suppresses your appetite.

4. Don’t watch commercials. Another good reason, right? Exercise instead. Or do a small chore.

5. Chew sugar-free gum or mint.

6. Drink water.

7. Plan your menus everyday to include a healthy snack and then reward yourself everyday for sticking to the menu. (Rewards can be whatever you find enjoyable that doesn’t involve food.) 

Top 5 ways to get a quick work-out

1. Whenever you open into the refrigerator, grab a full jug of milk (or whatever you have in there that’s full) and raise and lower five times with each arm.

 2. Keep a set of weights or an exercise band  around your living room (or wherever you just hang out) and do bicep curls or work your triceps. 

3. When you get out of the shower, do push-ups against the edge of the bathub or counter.

4. Make a commitment to take the stairs whenever you can and then do it.

5. If you’ve got young kids or a pet, play tag with them for 10-15 minutes. It will get your heart rate up.

Top 10 tips for treating insulin resistance

1.Rather than the typical “three meals a day” routine, eat several smalls meals. You will slow down your body’s insulin reaction and make it easier for cells to absorb the glucose it needs.

2.Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains plus oats, beans and legumes are particularly helpful in providing your body with fiber, which controls your blood insulin and sugar levels.

3. Eat chicken, turkey and fish instead of red meat 

 

4. Minimize or eliminate processed meats and animal fats such as butter . 

5. Prepare dishes with healthy cooking oils like canola, sunflower and olive oil. Remember to use a moderate amount

6. Eat healthy snacks and avoid sugary drinks, baked goods and other sweets.

7. Eat dairy products since the proteins and enzymes can slow the conversion of glucose to blood sugar.

8.  Moderate exercise  for 30 minutes a day can make your muscles use the available glucose that’s floating around your bloodstream.

9. Sleep for 6 to 8 hours a night. Blood sugar levels can be disrupted and raise insulin resistance if you are sleep-deprived.

10. Relax with prayer, meditation or other relaxation methods. One study showed that relaxing can reduce high blood sugar levels. 

Top 10 calorie-burning exercises to do in 30 minutes

If you are 180 pounds these are the top 10 calorie burning exercises that you can accomplish in one 30 minute session: 

10. Low impact aerobics-238 calories

9. Vigorous weight-lifting-259 calories

8. Bicycling (stationary) – 302 calories

7. Rowing (vigorously) – 367 calories

6. Boxing – 389 calories

5. Step Aerobics – 432 calories

4. Bicycling (outdoor) – 454 calories

3. Rock Climbing (going up) – 475 calories

2. Handball – 518 calories

and the number one calorie-burning exercise to do in 30 minutes is. . .

1. Running 7.5 miles (8 min/mile)- 540 calories

Top 10 weight loss strategies

10. Take 10 points off of your food’s glycemic index number and get a 10 pound decrease in your body weight over a period of time. For instance, eat grapes (49) instead of dates (103).

9. Don’t work overtime. Limit your workday to 9 hours per day and that includes lunch!

8. Drink 8 glasses of cold water per day. (64 ounces, at least)

7. Get 7 hours of sleep a night.

6. Keep track of your daily food and exercise in a journal at least 6 days a week.  

5. Take 5,000 extra steps a day.

4. Eat 4 grams of fiber a day in every meal or snack.

3. Call a friend 3 times a week for weight loss support.

2. Watch no more than 2 hours of TV per day.

and the number one strategy for weight loss is…

Weigh yourself once every day. It keeps your weight loss efforts real!

From the August 2006 issue of Prevention Magazine.