Dropping Five Pounds

So, we all want a nice figure to wear our bikini this summer. I do believe in a natural look for everyone. I don't believe people should all be a size 0 or weigh 100 pounds. Once you start understanding that, you will see yourself in your own figure.

Also, it's okay to look at other women and say, "Gosh, I want her abs!"... but do understand that having a 4-6 pack is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and self-control. People who have muscles drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and workout. If you want a great body, you have to work... hard!

Here is what you need to know to get that BANGING body:

Processed Foods: We have been told that processed foods are not good for us at all. The truth is that some of them are okay. The reason some processed foods aren't good for you is because they are altered from their natural form to be sold and packaged for long periods of time. These are the processed foods you should avoid or limit:

• Canned Foods with lots of sodium or fat
• Breads and pastas made with bleached grains
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• Packaged snacks with high calories (chips, cakes, honey buns)
• Frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners with high sodium
• Processed meats (Spam)
• Meal mix (Hamburger helper)

Water: Everyone should be drinking water everyday. The rule is drink half of your body weight in ounces. For example: If my weight is 140 pounds, I would drink 70 ounces because 140 divided by 2 equals 70. Cold water helps you loose weight because your body uses calories to increase the temperature of the water to your normal body temperature. Drink water with lemon if you hate the taste. Lemon helps your body cleanse out toxins.

Exercise: Exercise at least 3 times a week  to maintain your weight. If you want to loose more weight you should exercise more than that. Your workout should involve 30 minutes of intense cardio paired with 20-30 minutes of strength training. You don't want to be bulky, by lifting too many weights. And you don't want to be jiggly skinny, by doing to many cardio. What you want is a toned body. Make sure to stretch for 15 minutes before your workout! You don't want to pull anything. Have fun with your workout. Get with a friend, or hire a trainer for motivation. Nothing feels better than finishing a workout!

Eating: Do not starve yourself! This is probably the biggest mistake I see people doing who want to loose weight. When you starve yourself, your body says, "Oh no! Where is the food?!". Then when you do eat something it says, "Let's save this food for when she decides not to eat again." When you finally eat after starving yourself, your body holds on to the fat, sugar, and carbs from that meal. That's what you want to avoid. Eat a lot, 5 time a day! This will speed up you metabolism and allow your body to burn the food quicker because it knows it getting fed again, soon. Eat protein, green vegetables because they are water based, and fruit for desert and breakfast. Eat whole grains like oatmeal, wheat bread, and brown rice. Do not eat Low Fat this and that. Those foods carry more sodium and sugar for taste and would hurt your diet. Stick to things that allow you to sweeten or salten. Avoid foods that are already for you. They seem to over do it.

Alcohol: Avoid drinking when trying too loose weight. Alcohol is not good for you and have too many sugar in it. You can have your occasional glass of wine, but don't over do it!