With summer, reunion season & wedding season right around the corner everyone is looking for tips tricks to help them lose weight or maintain weight to look their best at the pool party or when reuniting with friends they haven’t seen in years.

Here are some ideas to help you shed that unwanted weight. First off, your diet (or lack thereof) including fluids, controls as much as 70-80% of the success in reaching your goal. Therefore it is time to really evaluate what and how much you are eating on a daily basis and re-evaluate your exercise routine. This might also help put a few more Benjamins in your wallet each month.

1) Breakfast

Commonly referred to as the most important meal of the day. Most of the research out there states that eating within 30 minutes of rising is optimal and aids in weight loss. That being said, a Venti White Chocolate Mocha and a blueberry muffin from your local barista don’t count. That Venti White Chocolate Mocha is a whopping 720 calories on its own. Keep in mind that there are (3500) calories in 1 pound, so if you do this Monday-Friday on your way to work, you are working on gaining at least 1 pound a week just from the coffee alone. Make your breakfasts as nutrient dense (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals) and with as few calories as possible, such as a garden or vegetable omelet or a homemade fruit and vegetable smoothie (with Kale, Spinach or Collard Greens) before you leave the house.

Exercise

While any type of movement is good, make the most of your workouts and try shorter, more intense routines. Instead of going into the gym (or at home) for 60+ minutes and taking 3, 4 or 5+ minutes between sets, cut that time in half by shortening your rest periods. Much of the scientific literature out there supports shorter more intense workouts of around 30 minutes 5-7 days per week. This is called efficiency! Think of all the extra time you will have, not to mention the additional weight you can lose because of the increase in intensity.

Walk More

Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator (when possible). Park in the back of the parking lot when visiting malls, restaurants, grocery stores etc… and make it a longer walk in. Return your shopping cart to the corral instead of leaving it in the parking stall or on the curb. Research shows taking an additional 3,000 steps per day will help you maintain your weight and if you can reach 10,000 steps per day it will help you shed pounds.

Food & Drink

One of the best things you can do is keep a food journal (of everything you eat and drink including the quantities… ounces, cups etc..). A typical serving size is about the size of your fist. Research shows that individuals that keep a food journal consume on average of 15% few calories than those that don’t keep a food journal.

• a. Don’t “go on a diet” – this usually eliminates something the body needs and you will end up binging and gaining more weight. If you have a vice (cheesecake, ice cream, chocolate, a sugary coffee drink), do not cut that out of your diet. Use that “vice” as a treat (once) at the end of the week for following all the other tips. Be mindful of what you eat and when eating out, have half of your entrée brought to you on the plate and the other half in a to-go box to reduce your portion sizes.
• b. Tell the waiter not to bring you the “traditional” bread before the meal
• c. Get your salad dressings on the side so you can control how much you put on your salad.
• d. Ask for smaller amounts of cheese that restaurants add “on top” of your entrée or as a garnish. Cheese consumption has risen 180+% over the past 30 years here in the US.
• e. Drink plenty of water… ½ of your body weight in ounces per day.
• f. If you drink soda and or alcohol, (same goes with salad dressing) get them as clear (see-through) as possible which will help to lower the calorie content and the damaging effects they have on the body.