It's taken you a while to get there, but you are finally really serious about dropping some weight to fit back in those skinny jeans. You've been watching everything you eat and exercising and the weight still isn't coming off. You know it's not a medical issue, but as you've gotten older, your metabolism has slowed considerably. Here's what to do when it seems hopeless.
Ditch the Easy Food
Just like everyone else these days, people who are trying to drop pounds are often pressed for time, so they grab ready-made diet meals and snacks at the grocery store. Even if the frozen meals are low-fat, they often have a ridiculously high sodium content, which causes bloating and water retention. If you work full time, spend a day on a weekend cooking healthy food and portion it out to take with you for lunch instead of grabbing the easy frozen stuff. You can find some great low fat, delicious and even quick recipes online.
Watch the Sugar Intake
Many people see "low fat" written on the label, and forget to check how much sugar it has. Sugar turns to fat if it isn't used quickly, so stick to low sugar choices. Processed foods with high fructose corn syrup are never a good choice. If eating pasta or breads, choose a whole wheat version with lower sugar. Fruits like bananas and grapes also have a high sugar content. Avoid sodas and fruit juices. A good rule of thumb is not to buy any foods with more than 9 grams of sugar per serving.
Portion Control
Unless you're European, you probably don't know what a correct portion is. Buy measuring cups and a dieting scale that measures ounces, and read labels. If the label says the portion is a quarter cup or three ounces, you can measure exactly how much you should be eating. Guessing usually leads to overestimating, which leads to weight gain.
Eat Out Only Once Per Week
This is one of the biggest reasons why so many busy people gain weight. They think they are eating light if they order a salad from the local deli on their lunch break or for a quick take-out dinner. The problem is, you might be, but you probably aren't. The cook probably slathered that grill in grease before grilling your chicken, doused the salad with high-fat dressing, and threw in some bacon bits for good measure. You can't control what you are eating if you are allowing someone else to prepare it. Save the eating out for a once a week "blow it" night. Eat whatever you want and enjoy it for that one meal per week. This resets your metabolism so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and stop losing weight, and you don't have to stress about what is in the meal you didn't prepare.
Interval Training
The best way to exercise for weight loss is to do interval training. If you spike your heart rate and then lower it over and over for 45 to 60 minutes at least three times per week, you will make your body work harder and burn more calories. On a treadmill, you can try switching off between jogging on an incline for five to six minutes and walking on a flat surface for two minutes.
Skinny jeans, here you come!
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