lose weight

This Fall losing weight might be a little bit more challenging since the warm weather of summer will be fading away.  Our bodies naturally want to pack on more pounds during the cold seasons, so in order to maintain or lose weight you need to focus on your diet.  If you want to stay in shape to fit into a special dress for Homecoming or the Holidays then you should think about adding these healthy drinks to your diet to help with your weight loss.

• Organic Pomegranate Juice

If you can’t get enough of soft drinks or sugary juices, organic pomegranate Juice is a healthy alternative.  This super fruit is tasty and packed full of nutrients.  Pomegranate Juice, high in antioxidants, actually helps your body to fight off sickness as well.  While a Diet Coke might have 0 calories, it doesn’t have the health advantages of this fruit juice.  Pomegranate juices contain more antioxidant than green tea, red wine and cranberry juice, but are often forgotten about when it comes to picking out a healthy drink.  Livestrong’s Will McCahill suggests that you check the label before buying pomegranate, or any other fruit juices, to ensure you’re picking a brand with low sugar.

• Ice Cold Water

Since our bodies chemical composition is 60% water, we need H2O to stay hydrated.  Drinking any liquids will do this, but drinking plain water means you’re not additionally ingesting calories that will hinder weight loss.  CNN reported that drinking water instead of soda or sugar filled juices can drastically change your weight loss process.  Specifically, drinking cold water can actually help your body burn calories.  Since your body has to use energy to warm the water inside of you, a few calories are burned in the process.   It’s also a good idea to drink a glass or two of water before meal times.  Doing so will fill you up faster so that you don’t eat as much food.  If you’re terrible at portion control, this is a simple way to help lose weight.

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The Huffington Post recently interviewed Abby Wambach of the US National Soccer Team to find out what it takes to get into shape like an Olympic athlete.  She discussed just how dedicated Olympic athletes must be to a specific workout and diet regiment in order to maintain their physical fitness.

“As professional soccer players, we take our bodies to the extreme. We're the people at the gym that look like we're breaking the machines. Pushing our bodies to the limits is what makes us so strong and capable and Olympians. It's not an easy thing to consistently do over and over again to your body.” (Huffington Post)

Wambach says a well balanced nutrition is key to getting in shape.  Eating well isn’t just something an athlete does during their sport season, but something that becomes a regular part of their lifestyle.  If you’re looking to lose weight or eat healthier than you really need to stay dedicated to a specific diet.  Occasional indulgences won’t hurt you, but staying on the wagon and making healthy foods a regular part of your day will help your body overtime.

Here are some tips we compiled on how to eat like an Olympian:

1. Drink lots of water!  Turkish female wrestler Elif Jale Yesilirmak says that she drinks up to 4 liters of water each day (that’s about 1 gallon of water).
2. Snack on something healthy, like edamame beans, a favorite of soccer player Carli Lloyd.
3. Have a hearty breakfast.  A typical breakfast for runner Ashton Eaton includes a heap of eggs, turkey bacon, toast, and Greek yogurt sprinkled with muesli.
4. Stick to lean meats.  Gymnist Jonathan Horton says that for dinner he usually has a lean meat main course like salmon or chicken.
5. Stock up on protein.  Table Tennis Olympian Michael Landers says you have to keep your protein up to make it through a workout.  Try eating more nuts, eggs, or fish.

Do you need to squeeze into a certain dress size in a short amount of time?  Losing weight can be a big challenge if you don’t start by making a plan.  Jumping right into a restrictive diet and intense exercise workout won’t work to change your size immediately.  The best way to drop some pounds is to commit to making small changes in your life daily.

Last month iVillage compiled 30 ways to drop a dress size in 30 days, including tips on what to eat, how to exercise, and what you’ll need to do to stay on track.  By following at least 10 of their recommendations you can lose about 10 pounds in a month, without hurting yourself!  Here are some of the key points you should pay attention to if you want to drop a dress size this month:

1. Eat probiotic rich foods like Greek Yogurt, filled with live cultures, a healthy bacterium that helps burn calories.
2. Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.  Good quality sleep will leave your body well rested, increasing your metabolism for the coming day.
3. Instead of grabbing a glass of OJ, eat a full orange instead.  By eating fruit instead of fruit juice you avoid consuming unnecessary added sugars.
4. Pack your lunch each day to avoid splurging on unhealthy foods that are easy to eat quickly during the workday.  Try bringing a sandwich and some healthy snacks like an apple or carrot sticks.
5. Drink 8-10 cups of water throughout each day to clean out your system and maintain good metabolism.
6. Get active by scheduling and maintaining at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.  Take a bike ride of go for a jog, just keep it consistent and you’ll feel the results.
7. Add spicy foods to your diet – some research shows spices like peppers help your body to fight fat.
8. Don’t freak out if you cheat a little!  Indulging accidentally doesn’t mean you’ve failed your mission, just make sure you get back on track after.
9. Start some meals with a broth based soup instead of a hearty appetizer.  Soup will fill you up faster so you won’t over eat during a meal.
10. Add protein to every meal.  Eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, fish or other lean meats will give you more energy and curb hunger between mealtimes.

For more tips, read the full article 30 days, 30 ways to drop a dress size, featured in News over at Comcast.