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Slimming Made Simple

By Simon Caddy

Summer is the time when everyone wants to start slimming so they can look impressive in their "lack" of clothing. Now I don't promise you that you'll achieve a fitness model body, but I will give you my simple but important tips in achieving a leaner physique.

This is important - Behavioral changes guarantee your success - not just knowledge alone. You may already have drawn out your road map with your nutritional plan and your workouts, so take that strategy and ACT on it. Stay motivated and consistently remind yourself of your fitness goal.

Here are 11 basic tips to get you jump started!

1. CUT THE SIMPLE CARBS.
It's unfortunate that the majority of society is addicted to carbs. This especially applies to overweight individuals mainly because their bodies struggle with insulin sensitivity. Carbohydrates are our bodys preferred energy source, but we have to learn to appropriately reverse the ratio of simple carbs (high glycemic) to complex carbs (low glycemic). Most importantly reducing total sugar intake. Having a positive ratio of complex to simple carbs will allow the body to regulate blood sugar levels and burn more fat as fuel. The ultimate result here...you lose more weight.

2. EAT SMALLER, MORE FREQUENT MEALS.
Smaller, frequent feedings about every 2-3 hours prevents your blood sugar levels from spiking dramatically throughout the day. This helps control your hormones and it regulates hunger as well. Better yet this helps to elevate your metabolism, reducing the load on your digestive system, and it can eventually provide you with more energy throughout the day.

3. CONSUME MORE FUNCTIONAL FATS.
Essential fatty acids, such as omega-6 and omega-3 consumed in appropriate ratios of 2:1 or better yet at 1:1 will allow the body to regulate your hormones, calm down inflammation, and stabilize blood sugar levels. This eventually leads to greater fat loss. So suck it up, and buy your fish and flax oils at your local health food store.

4. WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE!
Water is often overlooked, but it's the number one nutrient for our body to survive. Did you know that if your throat feels dry you are 2% dehyrdated! Staying hydrated aids with digestion, curbs your appetite, and flushes our metabolic waste. Make sure you drink the right amount each day. To work this out, multiply your bodyweight in Kg by 0.035 to find out how many litres of water you need to drink each day.

5. INCREASE FIBRE INTAKE.
Fibre keeps food moving along your gastro-intestinal tract and like water it aids in flushing metabolic waste. It also helps maintain your energy levels as it slows the rate of carbohydrate digestion, which stabilizes blood sugar levels.

6. ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL.
Let's be blunt - alcohol leads to fat gain. Not only is alcohol estrogenic (negatively affects testosterone for men) but it has a massive nutrition-empty 7 calories per gram! Alcohol takes precedence over fat metabolism when introduced into the body, meaning it stops you getting lean. Alcohol actually shuts down the fat burning mechanism for up to 48 hours, so avoid it as much as possible.

7. SPICY METABOLISM.
Incorporating a variety of spices in your foods such as curry, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and certain herbs may help boost your metabolism. Spices also help with stabilizing blood sugar levels.

8. COMBINE WEIGHT TRAINING WITH YOUR CARDIO.
While aerobic activity may burn a great deal of calories, especially when maintained at a high intensity, you'll achieve greater success by combining it with resistance training. This is because proper resistance training stresses all of your muscles make-up. When you stress your muscles effectively you either maintain and strengthen your current muscle mass or you even gain some. For every pound of muscle you gain it equates to 50 extra calories you can burn per day. So remember to hit the weights at least three times per week along with your cardio.

9. EAT SLOWLY.
With our busy schedules no-one truly gets to sit down and have a nice relaxing meal these days. Learning and realizing to slow down the pace at which you eat prevents compulsive over-eating and assists your digestion. It takes at least 20 minutes between the time you're full and when your brain actually realizes it. Eating slowly will also allow you to enjoy your meal.

10. WATCH FOR FOOD ALLERGIES.
Many people are allergic to dairy and wheat products. Being sensitive to these two food categories have been shown to cause weight gain. If you're consuming a diet high in refined foods, these sensitivities become more evident. This causes digestive problems such as bloating, stomach pain, and water retention. If you're not sure you may want to consider an allergy test. You also need to be aware that your body can be 'allergic' to different things at different times of the year too!

11. GET YOUR ANTIOXIDANTS.
Getting your daily dose of antioxidants from either a good multi-vitamin, a specific antioxidant supplement combination, or even a healthy combination of fruits and vegetables is important for combating toxins held in fat cells. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, polyphenols in green tea, etc. help your body reduce the time that toxins stay in your system.

So, there you have it - 11 basic tips to help you achieve a healthier and leaner physique. It's never to late to take action. Have fun and enjoy becoming a slimmer, sexier new you!

About the Author:

Simon Caddy has been a qualified Boxercise, Kick-Boxercise and Cardio-Kickbox instructor since 2005, and delivers several classes each week across a 20 mile radius from his home in Caerphilly, as well as using it in one-to-one sessions with his clients. For more information about these classes or one-to-one sessions, please visit SimonCaddy.com