What diet did you find that works the best for you? South beach, atkins, weight watchers, slim fast???
none. follow a simple portion control plan.
try to exercise at least 6 days a week (your body needs a rest day to refuel your muscles with energy)
CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO
try to get a cardio workout in for an hour a day, i reccommend running, swimming, jumproping, aerobic exercise dvds, dancing, biking, elliptical, fast paced walking–you can do either one exercise a day or break them up so you don’t get bored
do 3 sets of 10 reps of 5lb weights (bicep, tricep, deltoid work)
then do pilates for about an hour 7 days a week. this will strengthen your core (abs!) and add overall lean muscle to your body, speeding up your metabolism. it will also elongate your body and improve your breathing, you will love it.
Breakfast options:
Lowfat yogurt (i reccommend activia) with fruit (1/2 cup of blueberries, red grapes, strawberries, etc.) and whole grain granola (any flavor as long as it’s whole grain)- these are delicious and give you a great start for the morning because they include protein, whole grains, and fiber which is essential for your body to start off the day. Control the portion size by eating a large mug’s worth.
1 cup of raisin bran cereal with lowfat milk and fruit. Again, fiber and whole grains in this meal are very healthy. Try some bananas or blueberries in it, tastes great and gives you a great balance.
whole wheat toast or bagels with peanut butter (protein!) try to limit it to one whole bagel or two slices of toast to control your portion, and about 2 tbsp of pb
eggwhite omelets (5 egg whites) are great for protein, you can incorporate lowfat cheese to get in some dairy for the day and give it flavor. adding pepper to it is tasty also (anything spicy really speeds up your metabolism)
Morning snack options:
5 saltine crackers with peanut butter
1 medium fruit (apple, banana, pear, etc.–anything easy to grab or carry with you)
whole grain granola bars (ones that contain alot of protein are great, try south beach Diet brand or kashi–lot’s of celebs use these as snacks)
lowfat pudding
on crave days you can have a cheat with 3 hershey kisses or some other snack/chocolate that’s 250 cals or under
***your morning/afternoon snacks should be no more than 250 cals***
Lunch options:
breakfast options apply, try to get veggies in here
full bowls worth of salad with lowfat dressing(not more than a few tbsps, just use only how much you NEED), incorporate lean chicken breast for protein
bowl of soup with whole wheat bread roll (tomato soup tastes great with this, or you can have a grilled cheese sandwich with whole wheat bread and lowfat cheese if the roll isn’t enough) chicken soup is great, try to stay away from canned soups though, they’re not as healthy and contain more fat
english muffin pizzas are good too, english muffins are very healthy and as long as you don’t go overboard and use lowfat cheese and organic tomato sauce it’s a very delicious, craveable, and healthy lunch meal
sandwiches with lean meats (turkey’s a great choice) and lowfat cheese, lettuce, other veggies, and lowfat dressing is great if you’re eating it on whole wheat bread
whole wheat pasta with lowfat cheese and/or organic tomato sauce–if you absolutely need butter with your pasta go with promise(cardiologist reccommended)
***NO CARBS AFTER LUNCH!!!***
Afternoon snack options: morning snack options apply
Dinner options:
your best dinner is to have a small cup (1 cup) of either soup or salad–by eating one of these before your meal your body will burn more calories. (above soup and salads apply)
FISH. so good for you, protein, low in fat content. white fish is great, try to stay away from fried fish/fishsticks. lemon gives it great flavor! (eat about 6-12 oz, 6 is the size of your fist)
sides: legumes (beans are high in protein and barely have any fat), baby carrots, celery sticks with lowfat dipping sauce or pb, steamed assortment of veggies (broccoli’s delicious)–have at least a cup’s worth
**it’s important to not deprive yourself of foods you love either. don’t feel guilty if every now and then (about once a week) you eat something like a big cheeseburger or some french fries or a dessert. if you deny these foods constantly, your body will eventually crave them so much that you’ll overeat them when you give in. once a week (try to save it for the weekend so you deserve it after all your hard work) eat a controlled portion of something you love. examples: piece of cake that’s no bigger than your hand, 1 cup of ice cream, 1 cupcake or muffin, handful of m&m’s or french fries, 2 small or 1 large cookie**try to eat your "cheat food" before 7 at night, this way your metabolism has sufficient time to burn
i’m studying as a nutritionist/personal trainer
more questions, email me brooke_geller@yahoo.com