Diet Tribe

Goal: Aim to lose 1 - 2 pounds a week. If you try to lose more than two pounds, you may be losing weight too fast, which commonly leads to gaining back all the weight that was lost, plus more.

Exercise: If you have access to a gym, try out the elliptical machine and/or treadmill. If you are able to, run or jog a mile each day for about 3 to 5 days a week. If a mile is a bit too much, start out with half a mile, or even less; whatever you feel comfortable with! Gradually increase your distance (and your speed if you prefer). However, if you don’t have access to a gym, try running around your block. The best time to exercise is within an hour of waking up in the morning. The reason? You burn more calories after a workout than if you had just been sitting on a couch; so exercising in the morning will allow you to burn more calories throughout the day, even long after you’re done with your workout! Make sure not to hit the snooze button on your alarm clock too many times!

Diet: Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day: breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and if you need to eat more, have an evening snack. PORTION CONTROL IS KEY. If you are able to, prepare each meal ahead of time so that when it comes to eating a meal, you don’t overdo it. Try eating somewhere away from the kitchen so you’re less likely to go back for seconds or thirds. Eat your last meal/snack no later than 6:30 - 7:00 p.m., and try not to eat anything for the rest of the night, or at least don’t eat anything 3 hours prior to going to bed. Only drink water as your main beverage, and make sure to drink lots of it (it has been proven to speed up your metabolism)! Eat PLENTY of fruits and vegetables. They’re low-cal, so in this case, more is better than less.

The first couple of days of this diet may seem tough, but trust me, soon it will become a habit! Also, this is a good diet that will help you lose weight, and then maintain your new lower weight for life, and never go back to the way you used to be. Good luck!