Just 10 pounds

Just 10 Lbs.

By: Dana Baardsen

 Doctor Oz came up with a list of ten things YOU can do right now, to lose ten pounds. My favorite suggestions of his are to cut out soda consumption and stay on top of taking your multi and B complex vitamins.

We only have a few weeks until July, and if you haven’t prepped your body properly for bathing suit season, you might want to take some of his ideas into consideration.

Here are ten tips I’ve created for optimal weight loss in a short period of time:

1. Mindful Eating: It may seem pretty basic, and you might think your eating mindfully– but really take a second to think about what you consume on a weekly basis. Rather than focusing on daily intake, (“I only had a FEW potato chips today”) focus on what you consume during the week.

Are you going through full bags of potato chips? Or are you going through full bags of spinach? Are you going through a tub of ice cream? Or are you going through a tub of low-fat Greek yogurt? This leads to the second point:

2. Cabinet Makeover: If your serious about ditching this extra weight, then it’s time to cleanse your kitchen! Go through your cabinets and refrigerator and get rid of anything which could be detrimental to your diet. Work out an understanding with your family and try to keep sweet-eating out of the house.

3. Sayonara Sodium!: Salt is SO important for our cells, because (Sodium) is one of the main electrolytes in our bodies. However, excessive sodium leads to water retention…which leads to packing on extra “water” weight.

Foods you should avoid: Pre-made soups, processed/frozen dinners, canned foods, salty snacks etc.

Salt is often used for a preservative, so while your trying to cut these ten pounds, avoid preserved foods. Look for terms like, “low-sodium” or “unsalted”. Finally, try not to add extra salt to your meals.

4. Fat from Fruit?: Eeek! Could fruit make you fat? Maybe. When eating produce, try to fill up your cart with mostly veggies and limited fruits. Fruits tend to be higher in calories and much higher in sugar. When we have excess sugar in our bodies– it becomes converted and stored as fat. It doesn’t matter if the sugar comes from a grape or a donut, if it’s excess then you don’t want it.

Make sure fruit is your main source of sugar-intake and be “mindful” of not over-doing it!

5. Good Morning, Body: Rather than avoiding the world and throwing the covers over your head when the alarm goes off in the morning, try some light stretching. When we stretch before we even get out of bed, it starts the flow of blood in our bodies so that when we actually get out of bed, the idea of doing a few push-ups or sit ups isn’t so painful. Once you get a light workout in at the start of the day, you will be more conscious to avoid unhealthy decisions throughout the rest of the day.

6. Drink!: Soda, Alcohol, and Juices often contain too much sugar or food dyes and chemicals which can hinder weight loss. Even diet soda contains a chemical which actually slows metabolism over time.

By drinking water (add lemon or mint) you will stay hydrated and rid your body of unwanted toxins.

By drinking tea (especially green) you will actually boost your metabolism and pump your body with antioxidants. How could you go wrong?

7. Break Bad Habits: Turn sedentary activities into fat-burning. Walk instead of driving or taking the bus. Stretch while you watch TV. Do a wall sit while you brush your teeth.

The possibilities to be more active are endless! No excuses this summer…

8. Brown vs. White: It’s important to incorporate brown (breads, pastas, rices) into your diet rather than white. The simple sugars in the white product spike blood sugar and increase body fat percentage. The sugars in brown products are often paired with fibers and nutrients which cause a slow release of sugars into the blood stream. There is no overload of sugar into your body which means a less of an impact on body fat percentage.

9. Prepare Your Meals: Know what you are eating, by developing a relationship with food.

When we eat out of laziness or boredom, the last thing we want to do is actually prepare a meal. We might heat something up or grab a bag-o-somethin’ from the cabinet…but never do we find ourselves chopping fresh veggies and making home made hummus to feed our fix.

If your not willing to prepare something, then you probably aren’t about to eat because your body needs to.

By all means, prepare and store for later use…but make sure you are eating for the right reasons while steering clear from a diet which mainly consists of processed foods.

10. Love Your Body, Know Your Body: Remember not to get hung up on the scale. Know what your body looks and feels like. If you lost seven pounds and can’t seem to drop any more weight, but you notice your body toning up and transforming into something more energetic and flexible–than you’ve succeeded. Muscle weighs more than fat anyway and it’s better to just decrease your body fat percentage than to focus on a number.

I am sharing this article because I was talking to Daniel today how we need to start losing our weight before July. At least 10 pounds but 20 would be ideal. We are going to start a routine where we will be counting calories and exercising for the next 8 weeks. It will be a cleansing type of diet. We hope to be successful at least this one time at doing something about our weight. I will report on June 29th before we go on our vacation. 

Con amor,

Vero