The ABC's of Dieting

D-I-E-T.... why must this word start with die? Maybe this is due to the fact that we inherently think that to diet, a little piece of us must die-our inner foodie and food lover.  However, this thinking is flawed and down right wrong.  Let's go over the ABC's of dieting, and put the fun and life back into dieting, and keep looking Fit and Pretty!

Let's start with A....

A : Control you APPETITE.  Portion control is key when it comes to dieting.  I am not saying subsist off of 2 baby carrots and a can of tuna.  No way, I love food and could never do that. By controlling your appetite, keep eating good clean foods, and small controlled portions that are full of fiber, protein, and low glycemic carbohydrates.

B: BE Consistent! Don't start a diet to just stop 2 day's into it.  You will never see results.  There is a saying, it takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, and 12 weeks for everyone else to notice.  Stay consistent and let everyone see the changes.  Before you even see the changes you will feel the changes.  You will feel lighter, quicker, more energetic and happy.  It's worth a try to stick with it, you owe it to yourself.

C: Count CALORIES.  There are all these fad diets out there.  Master cleanse, Atkins, Cabbage Soup, Cookie diet. Which do we follow; who do we believe? I am here to tell you that the biggest factor in controlling your weight comes from monitoring your calorie intake.  Yes, maybe you have tried a fad diet, and actually lost some weight, but the only reason this has been due to a caloric deficit caused decreasing calorie intake.  If I ate cabbage soup all day, of course I would close weight.  Cabbage has next to no calories, and if eaten with soup, the high volume of fluids, paired with the high fiber cabbage, and of course you feel full.

D: Don't lose track of your goals. Setting goals is key.  If you don't have a goal, how will you ever stay on track. Repeat your goals daily.  Write them down, talk about them, remind your self of them daily. This will help you stay on track.

E: EXERCISE!!  Need I say more?!  Get up and move.  Have fun! Go for a run, join ZUMBA, lift some weights, sign up for a boot camp.  Whatever it is, have it be something you like and will stick to. Exercise will not only help you lose weight, it will help you maintain weight loss and promotes overall good health.  Try to burn at least 300-500 calories during every exercise session.  If you cannot do that all at once, break it up into several small sessions throughout the day.

As I continue on, I will keep adding to the ABC's of fitness. But for now lets focus on these. Portion control, exercise, and don't lose sight of those goals.

Together we can do this my beauties.

Stay Fit and Pretty

xoxo, -C