Sometimes you just have to see the scale start moving to feel the momentum kick in. But you can safely lose five pounds in a couple of weeks without gaining it back by making a few adjustments in your diet.
And when I say diet, I don't mean the 'count every calorie' type. I mean the way you fuel your body may be slightly off from how it should be.
When I start working with a new client who wants to lose weight, I try to identify where their weaknesses are. More often than not, those weaknesses don't differ too drastically. Here are four of my tried and true tips that help to bring my clients back into balance with the way they're eating. If healthy weight loss is your goal, sticking with this could help you get the scale moving in the right direction.
Lose Five Pounds - Here's How
Limit Starchy Carbs to 1 Meal a Day
- Bread/Wraps
- Pasta
- Oatmeal
- Pizza (crust)
- Rice
- Potatoes, including sweet potatoes/yams
- Quinoa
- Cous cous
- Waffles/Pancakes
- Pretzels
- Sautéed veggies (make extra for dinner and reheat with eggs for breakfast!)
- Veggie Chili (found in the 2-day Jumpstart download)
- Fresh berries with yogurt instead of bread or a bagel
- King size salads piled high with avocado, lean protein, veggies or eggs
- Freshly prepared soups made with loads of veggies and lean protein
- Stir Fries (sans rice)
- Balanced smoothies with berries, leafy greens, cinnamon, plant-based protein powder, a little nut butter, water and ice.
Exercise Harder, Not Longer
Warm up for about 5 minutes. Warm up can be anything that starts to get your blood flowing, like a brisk walk.
BLAST SET (What is this? See below.)
- 60-Second Blast (Very Hard Cardio Effort) <----This is all out effort
- 30-Seconds Easy (Easy Cardio Effort)
COMPLETE this set a total of 9 times
BODY WORK SET (What are these exercises? See below.)
- 60 Second Jumping Jacks
- 30 Second Wall Squat
- 60 Second Burpees
- 30 Second Plank
Rest 1 Minute
COMPLETE this set a total of 3 times
Watch Out For Snacks!
- Vegetables + Hummus
- Apple + Nut Butter
- Plain Yogurt + Walnuts + Cinnamon
- Air Popped Popcorn + Coconut Oil
- Hard Boiled Eggs
Don't drink your calories
If it's not snacks that fill you up, then it could be what you're drinking. All it takes is an extra 200 calories a day to cause significant weight gain over a short period of time. So if you're making a pitstop at the coffee shop for a sugary latte, or at the corner store for an energy drink, you're creating weight loss obstacles. The next time you're looking fo a fresh, healthy smoothy, give this one a try.
- 1-inch piece of fresh turmeric (or 1⁄2 teaspoon ground)
- 4 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup water
- 4 ice cubes
Directions
- Combine all of the ingredients and blend in a blender on high speed until smooth.