10 Tips to Stay Lean after Summer!

1) Workout first thing in the morning before you start your day. Then, you will have no excuse later in the day.

2) Be more active – choose to walk or ride a bicycle or swim as much as possible, swimming is one of the highest calorie burning activities you can do.

3) Focus all your meals around a good source of protein and healthy fats. This will help maintain muscle. Protein and fats have the highest thermic effect of food which allows you to burn more calories digesting it.

4) Consider getting sorbet ice cream if you do have dessert. They are usually very low in calories compared to fancy Italian gelato.

5) Eat foods high in fiber for breakfast and this will keep you feeling full all day long.

6) Never have 2 “cheat meals” in a row. For example, if you have pasta for one meal, make sure the next meal is something that is healthy, such as lean fish and vegetables.

7) Ask for the dressing or sauce on the side when you order food at a restaurant – you can add the right amount you want as you eat.

8) Drink water based on your body weight throughout the day. The more water you drink, the less likely you will consume large calorie meals.

9) Drink zero calorie drinks. For example, drinks with stevia will help with sweet cravings and do not contain calories which can cause weight gain.

I should trade mark this last piece of advice – I say it to patients all the time: 10) “If you are going to cheat, cheat well.” Do not cheat with junk foods with artificial or junk ingredients. Cheat with food that feeds your soul and your belly – foods that are decadent and worth the calories. Follow the 80-20 rule or the 6 days on, 1 day off rule.

People gain weight when they go on holidays or travel because there are so many different food choices and options. I hope you found these 10 tips useful and you can apply some of them for the fall. If you do need help with a specific diet to achieve the health goals you want, feel free to reach out and let me help you!