A variety of reasons exist for slimming down during the summer months, whether you just want to look good lounging in your swimsuit by the pool or you are suffering from obesity-related conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Fortunately, many simple, everyday changes can help you shed excess pounds.
Be Realistic
Set weight-loss goals, but be realistic about them. Do not expect sudden weight loss; this is unrealistic and unsafe. MayoClinic.com recommends losing approximately 1 to 2 lbs. per week. This means you will need to eliminate between 500 and 1,000 calories from your diet every day. This, too, must be done realistically through regular exercise and dietary changes.
Use Smaller Dinnerware
If you put a large portion of food down before you, you are more likely to eat all of it, even after you become full. To shed pounds, consider serving food on salad plates, which range from 7 to 9 inches across. Also do this with glasses when consuming caloric beverages by drinking out of 8- or 6-oz. cups only. This way, you can eat or drink everything on the table before you without gaining excess pounds.
Exercise Regularly
To lose weight for the summer months, consider exercising for 30 minutes, five days a week. You can do anything you enjoy, from joining a sports team, to taking an aerobics class, to walking the dog after dinner each night. It doesn't have to be done in a 30-minute block either; you can split up the routine into 10-minute sessions if preferable.
Eat Cereal
"Reader's Digest" notes that eating cereal five mornings a week for breakfast can encourage weight loss. In addition, people who eat cereal are less likely to develop diabetes and obesity. Cereal eaters also tend to eat less fat and more calcium and fiber than non-cereal eaters. Just be sure to stick with low-sugar and high-fiber cereals, as those tasty, brightly-packaged children's cereals often times contain a lot of sugar.
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