Do you ever look in the mirror and you don’t really see yourself? And then you see a photograph and you’re dismayed and shocked and horrified?
That’s how it usually happens, but yesterday I looked in the mirror and I really saw myself. Nothing like a dose of reality to kick a girl in the pants. However, the worst thing about the changing seasons is discovering that clothes from a year ago don’t fit.
I’ve never in my life had clothes just “happen” to be too BIG from one year to the next. Yet, more than once summer has started and I’ve found that last summer’s pants and shorts just don’t quite zip up. I hate it when that happens. (The SOS alarm goes out)
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
But before you let your psycho turn into an excuse to ignore the extra pounds you’ve been hiding under your big winter coat, we’ve got news for you: In a few days that coat will be coming off, and people will learn that the extra padding you’re packing wasn’t just your sweaters. And then you’ll freak out because by then summer will be just around the corner, and you’ll be tempted to do something stupid like go on a crash diet that will endanger your health and set you up for a rebound. So, STOP, rewind and recognize the fact that bikini weather is a few days away. Not a big deal if you’ve got just a couple of pounds to lose.
But if you’re carrying significant extra weight, the prospect of losing weight can seem daunting indeed. The real question to be asked is How do we do it? Here are a few ideas:
- Go fifty- fifty : Split your 500 calorie goal in two, by aiming to burn 250 calories through exercise, and cut the rest through diet. A half-hour of good exercise will get you half-way there, while an hour can blast 500 .
- Go fish: Choose fish instead of a six-ounce burger and save 400 calories.
- Go bio: Snack on fruits and vegetables instead of junk food and you’ll save 200 calories.
- Don’t drink your calories: Depending on how much you eat, limit your alcohol to one wine glass a day.
- Go dark: opt for dark chocolate instead of the one containing milk and you’ll indulge your sweet tooth while also getting a double-dose of antioxidants – without the calories hangover and grams of fat.