7 Simple Steps To Lose Extra Weight And Tone Up For Your Summer

by Tracy Lee

Summer is here and we are already half-way through the year!

As the weather starts to get warmer, we start to ditch our warm clothings and prepare for our summer vacations. We love to spend time with our family or friends at the beach, and we become more conscious about our own body shapes.

If you have been putting off starting your weight loss plan, this is a great time to start seriously.

But the truth is that it is not easy for women over 40 to lose weight within a short period of time. It will take a lot of hard work and consistent effort if you want to achieve the weight loss you desire.

Eating right, making smart food choices, and working out regularly are the keys to the body almost everyone will envy. Having said that, it's never too late to improve your body and your look for your bathing suit, bikini, or tankini.

Start your beach body "boot camp" today!

Here is a simple 7-step plan for you to lose some pounds and tone up for your summer...

1. Write it all down on a journal.
It is always a good idea to write down accurately what you eat and drink everyday including your occasion snacks (e.g. a chocolate cookie). Also, you must jot down what kind of exercise you do every day. From there, you can learn about your own eating and exercise behaviour. You will be able to zoom in your weak points which you can make improvements on.

2. Learn to read the food labels.
This is a very important habit you must adopt. Do not be deceived by words such as "Low Fat" or "Less Sugar". The products may have reduced its fat or sugar content from the original products, but you must still do a proper comparison with other similar products to find the right kind of food for yourself. Remember to study every label before you

purchase anything that will end up going into your body.

3. Drink more water & cut down on other beverages.
It is very important that we drink 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water a day. You will need drink even more when you are doing your exercise. In case you didn't know, this can help your metabolism also. Try to cut down on your fruit juices. Instead, it's better to eat the whole fruit because it will give you the fiber and vitamins your body needs and less calories as compared to a glass of fruit juice. If possible, try to limit your alchol intake, especially high caloric alcoholic beverages.

4. Eat all your meals.
Do not skip any meals. Many women tend to skip their meals, especially their breakfast. Do not do this. You must eat breakfast everyday. Because so many hours have passed since last night's dinner, your breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Choose a breakfast with complex carbs and fruits to kick start your day. You can have a small snack before your lunch and your dinner. As for your dinner, it is a good idea to reduce the portion size and have more vegetables for easy digestion. Remember, do not starve yourself as this will backfire on you, and make it more difficult to lose the weight in the future.

5. Exercise.
A good old advice. Exercise is one of the keys to lose weight regardless what kind of diet you are on. A 30-minute routine of aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging or swimming every day can help to burn more fat in your body. Even doing housework can be treated as a form of exercise. Remember, you must keep your body moving if you want to burn those fats.

6. Increase your metabolism
The key to increase your metabolism is really to build muscles. Muscles are like a furnace that

increases your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories even when you are at rest. Thus, muscles are very important and essential for your fat loss. You can do weight resistance training 2 to 3 times every week. Furthermore, you will also look better with a toned-up body when you are in your swimming suit or bikini... just like the Hollywood stars.

7. Sleep.
Many people tend to ignore the importance of sleep. In fact, if you have sufficient 8 hours of good sleep, you will not only feel refreshed and recharged, but you will find yourself losing some weight. Recent scientific research has shown that people with insufficient sleep tend to have difficulty to lose weight and tend to get other health problems too.

It may seem quite easy but without a proper plan and successful strategies, you won't succeed in achieving your weight loss goals. You really need to have patience as results do not happen overnight. The most important thing is that you must not GIVE UP even when you hit a temporary setback.

Copyright 2006 Tracy Lee

Tracy Lee is the owner of the "Weight Loss for Women Over 40" site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special Report "9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear" instantly here:

http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/

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