Summer: the month of lazily tanning at the beach, family picnics eating juicy watermelon, tropical vacation selfies - and getting in shape for the school year.
1. Protein is not just for bodybuilders.
Protein reduces muscle loss and metabolic slowdown (when your body burns fewer calories than it did before you began losing weight) and weight regain which is great for long-term weight loss. It also reduces appetite and late-night snack cravings. If that isn't enough to convince you, consider that you burn much more calories while digesting protein than carbs or fat. Natural sources of protein include fish, meat, eggs, dairy, and beans. For the lazy, protein powders are great. According to an article in Women's Health, the optimal amount to eat is your weight multiplied by 0.36 and then doubled. So for a 150-pound person, that's about 110 g daily. The best time to eat protein is after a workout.
2. Eat your vegetables (creatively)!
Did you know you can get cauliflower rice? Yup, Trader Joes strikes again. Of course, if you like salads, good for you; but if you have an irrational hate of spinach, there are alternative options. Say hello to zucchini pasta, sweet potato toast, and other weird foods you never thought existed.
3. Not all hope is lost: you can still eat dark chocolate
You know what else is bad for weight loss? Stress. It causes your cortisol levels to spike, increasing appetite and encouraging you to eat based on emotions rather than physical need. So indulging in some dark chocolate when you feel a panic attack coming on isn't a bad idea since it'll boost your serotonin and endorphin levels which
4. Don't OD on fruit
Fruit is by no means going to make you fat; however, if you take a fruit-only diet approach like I basically did my freshman year of college (mostly since the extent of my cooking skills was being able to cut fruit into a fruit salad), there are issues. First of all, fruit is high in carbohydrates. An apple has around 30 grams of carbohydrates and people eating limited carb diets sometimes try to limit consumption to 100 grams of carbohydrates so you can see how eating lots of fruit can add up. Moreover, fruit is one of the highest sources of fructose which can lead to high insulin levels and be packaged as fat if the liver gets overwhelmed.
5. Not all nuts are created equal
Walnuts, pistachios, and almonds are top choices for those looking to trim down. Walnuts are one of the best sources of polyunsaturated fats which activate genes that reduce fat storage and improve insulin metabolism, pistachios have been linked to studies in which participants decreased their BMI's, and almonds are rich in the amino acid L-arginine, which can actually help you burn more fat and carbs during workouts. Munch on a little over a quarter cup before your workout for optimal benefits!
