drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
by Matt Weik
You don’t need to starve yourself or spend hours on the treadmill each day in order to lose weight. In fact, you only need to make some very minor adjustments to your diet and nutrition in order to see some big results. This article will show you some extremely easy ways to lose weight.
[h=4]1. Stop drinking juice[/h]Remember, the job of a marketing team is to make you want to purchase a product. The words they use can be tricky and deceptive. Look at labels before you purchase anything at the grocery store. While the label might say “fruit juice” it generally isn’t 100% fruit juice like they want you to believe. Only a portion of it is real juice yet it is lacking some micronutrients that come from the real source. For instance, an apple will supply you with fiber, yet the juice version generally yields you much less (if any at all). In addition, you’re going to take in around double the amount of sugars from the juice than you would chomping down on a whole apple.
[h=4]2. Spice things up (in the kitchen)[/h]Now, before you get the wrong idea… we are talking about food here – specifically, cayenne pepper. Get your mind out of the gutter. By simply adding a little cayenne pepper to your meals, you’re going to get some metabolism boosting properties without even needing to get up and break a sweat in the gym. You’ll be able to better manage your cravings as well as being able to burn more fat by simply sprinkling some cayenne pepper on your meals. Obviously, not every meal is a good choice to do this with. But, when the opportunity arises, take full advantage of its powerful benefits.
[h=4]3. Chomp on some gum[/h]Do everyone a favor, don’t chew your gum like a cow – it’s disgusting. Now that we have that out of the way, grab a stick between meals and chew it discretely. Find a sugar-free gum that you enjoy the flavor of and take a pack with you everywhere you go. When you find a craving coming on or your stomach is growling, toss a piece of gum in your mouth to get you back on track and focused. Unfortunately, the gum itself will not burn many calories or have you losing weight, but it’s a great way to keep yourself from binge eating or over-eating throughout the day.
[h=4]4. Add green tea to your daily beverages[/h]This isn’t a paid sponsor, but I personally love Arizona Diet Green Tea. It comes in gallon containers at the grocery store and it seems like it goes on sale multiple times each month which allows me to stock up regularly. I go back and forth between diet green tea and water all day long. It gives me a break from drinking (boring) unflavored water all day long. Green tea is able to metabolize fat and allow you the ability to drop some weight. If you aren’t going with the brand I mentioned, be sure to look at the nutrition panel to make sure it’s not loaded with calories, sugars, carbohydrates, etc.
[h=4]5. Water wizardry[/h]You won’t be pulling a rabbit out of your hat or sawing someone in half, but what you will be doing is putting yourself in a position to not over-eat at meals. All you need to do is drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat each meal. The glass of water will help trick your stomach into feeling full and can help prevent you from going up for seconds (or thirds). It’s also a good idea to drink water through the meal as well which will also help you feel satiated.
[h=4]6. Pay attention to liquid calories[/h]At breakfast, many people will drink a glass of milk or orange juice. Maybe you have a bowl of cereal with milk, and after you finish your cereal you drink the milk from the bowl. Those calories add up quickly. And unfortunately, those calories won’t necessarily leave you feeling full. When you drink a glass of orange juice (loaded with calories), for example, it seems refreshing and leaves you wanting more. If you cave into temptation, you’re going to add hundreds of calories to your meal without truly realizing what you’ve just done. The same thing can be said about alcohol (sorry guys). Going on a binge with your buddies during a hot summer day might seem refreshing, but those calories unfortunately count. Keep your liquid calories to a minimum.
[h=4]7. Caffeine can be your friend[/h]If you are sensitive to stimulants, then you need to be careful with this one. But if you aren’t, welcome to the dark side. No, I’m just kidding. Actually, no I’m not… welcome. Without going overboard, consuming a beverage containing caffeine (such as coffee or green tea) is a great way to get a little pick-me-up throughout the day. It can even be used as a pre-workout to help energize your workout. Without abusing this stimulant, start off on the low end (maybe just one small cup of coffee or tea) to assess how it affects you and make adjustments from there. Not only will caffeine energize your body, but also your mind.
