Whether you've got a big date tonight or you need to fit into your old jeans by tomorrow, it's natural to wish for a way to magically lose weight in one day. While drastic weight loss takes time and effort, you can begin good habits today to help you see a difference in your waistline. By moving more and eating less, you might see small changes in your body after 24 hours -- and these results will motivate you to keep losing weight.
Step 1
Drink water instead of soda. Not only are sodas filled with empty calories, sweeteners and artificial ingredients, but they can make you look bloated. Water helps flush the body of excess water so it's easier to button up your pants, and it's a healthier choice when compared to soda. What's more, water is calorie-free, which allows you to quench your thirst without the empty calories of soda, says Jodi Stookey of Children's Hospital and Oakland Research Institute in California in "USA Today."
Step 2
Eat foods low in salt for the entire day. Salt causes your body to retain water, which can make you look bloated, especially in the belly. If you're hoping to fit into a certain dress or pair of jeans by nightfall, choose foods flavored with salt-free spices, lemon and other ingredients -- and avoid sodium to give your body time to flush out excess salt and relieve bloating.
Step 3
Wear a pedometer from sunup to sundown. A pedometer can help you become more aware of how much you're moving throughout the day, notes "Diabetic Living." Challenge yourself to reach 10,000 steps today, and you may find yourself making healthier choices such as parking farther away from the mall or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work to meet your goals and keep your body moving all day long. Begin an exercise program today -- such as running, biking, swimming or dancing. Adding 30 minutes of cycling to your daily routine -- at 12 mph -- can help you burn 205 calories if you weigh 150 lbs.
Step 4
Tell a friend that you'll be showing him your daily diet at the end of the day, and write down everything you eat. Recording what you consume, plus the responsibility of revealing your diet to someone else can help you make better food choices throughout the day. Instead of grabbing a vending machine candy bar, for example, you might bring a healthy snack from home and reduce your daily caloric intake.
Step 5
Utilize your progress in order to create long-term weight loss goals after having success today. While you may be able to zip your jeans at the end of the night, a few more weeks of healthy weight loss could have you in new jeans altogether. Make realistic goals by losing 1 to 2 lb. each week, suggests the Mayo Clinic. And don't forget to give yourself rewards in order to continue your success.
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