5 Ways to Shed Pounds For Summer

I wrote a post about a week ago where I admitted that I’ve let myself get go a bit over the winter. I’ve always been an avid exerciser… but I’m a little bi-polar about it. I’ll get motivated and within months be in top shape… but then I’ll lose interest and slowly slide back out of shape.

I guess I never get too worried because I know once I’m ready I’m always able to quickly tone up. I thought that I would write my method for easily getting back into shape. There is no magical forumula, and you’ve probably heard a lot of this advice before, but its time to act on it.

I’ll write another post about how to build muscle, but here are 5 ways to shed some pounds.

Getting in Shape in 5 Easy Steps

1. Exercise Portion Control

Last night I made a pot of spaghetti. I finished what was on plate, and what was left in the pot was not enough for leftovers.. so I ate that too. Sure, it tasted good at the time, but it was unnecessary. Generally you’ll get filled after a small amount of food. It just takes awhile before feeling the sensation of being full. We’re impatient so we keep eating till we get there. Instead, after eating a reasonable portion, put your forth down and wait. You’ll be full soon enough.

2. Eat 5 meals throughout the day

The way your body works it constantly needs energy from food. Most of the food you eat goes right into the blood stream so it can be used immediately. If too much goes in at once you store it as fat. The key is to be eating just enough to use for supplying your muscles with the energy they need. The way to do this is to eat 5 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large ones. I usually try to make one of me meals a protein shake.

3. Replace soda, juice, milk, with water

A can of soda is worse for you than you think. Its filled with sugar. Sugar makes you fat. The same can be said about any non-diet bottled juices, iced teas, and soft drinks. Stick with water. Wather hydrates your cells, cleans your system of toxins, and is good for your skin.

4. Fill yourself up with food that contains nutrients

In the last example I talked about a can of soda. A can of soda is like 200 calories. That is basically the same amount of calories as a can of tuna. Which do you think is more helpful to your body? The tuna is packed with protein. Protein builds muscle. Change little things like eating whole grain bread instead of white, eliminate bagels, eat lots of fish, skip McDonalds… really simple advice that many people ignore. If you’re making eggs… throw the yokes out. Use mustard on a sandwich instead of mayo. Eat broccoli instead of fries.

5. Do Cardio

If you’re goal is to lose weight you need to be doing cardio. And I don’t mean sitting on an exercise bike at the gym, talking on the phone or reading a magazine. I mean getting your self soaked with sweat for a good 30 minutes. You need to be dong about 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. For best results do cardio on an empty stomach this way you’re burning stored fat. If you hate going to a gym, do fun stuff like mountain biking, playing basketball, or running in the park with your dog. (great for picking up chicks)

I’ll be back to write a post on building muscle, but in the mean time check out Bodybuilding.com. They’ve got like 10,000 articles on the subject and all the supplements you need.