Losing weight in five easy steps during the spring

Temperatures outside are slowly on the rise, while our gaze increasingly shifts toward our airier clothes. “Do these even still fit?” is a question asked by most women on the verge of spring, while instinctively removing items like chocolate or pastry products from the shopping list.

In the first months of every new year, we traditionally aim to begin a new chapter of self-care, but in reality, only manage to do so when the winter is gone. If there was a ‘’woman calendar’’, February and March would definitely be designated the months of losing weight and that of female beauty. To conform to this tendency, we have prepared 5 steps for welcoming the spring with a beautiful body and no extra weight.

Don’t rush!

You won’t lose weight for a week or two. The initial visible results of one’s efforts first appear after 25-30 days. Furthermore, to ensure preventing the so-called ‘’yo-yo’’ effect, you need to hold this result for at least three months. This period is necessary for the body to ‘’forget’’ the old weight and seize trying to regain it. The longer you maintain your ideal weight, the easier it will become to remain within it in the future.

To get in shape with a long-lasting effect, you will need patience, continuity and often - strong discipline. We know how hard it is to not indulge in certain appetites, but solely can self-discipline help you achieve a good final result. Therefore, mobilize your power of will and let the female beginning guide you towards your ideal body.

One more piece of advice before we begin, hide your body scale from your sight! Measure your initial weight, lock the scale in the closet and take it out again in a month. This will save you disappointment in the first weeks, due to the lack of results, but will guarantee you true happiness once you have achieved your goal.

 Step 1: Choose the suitable food regiment

No, we don’t mean a diet. We advise you to utilize the general rules of healthy nutrition, which won’t allow you to gain any weight. Try increasing physical activity and purchasing only your favourite foods for muscle tone and additional motivation. If your menu tastes good and is diversified, you are guaranteed to lose weight healthily and without any deprivation for you or your body.

• exclude refined sugars: If you can’t last without ‘’sweetness’’, use natural and plant-based sweeteners. Seasonal fruit and dry fruit (without added sugar) work wonders during ‘’abstinence’’
• reduce pastry products: along with all products prepared with white flour, including your favourite Italian pasta. You can exchange the puffy bread with whole-grain bread, but you shouldn’t overdo that either.
• no natural juices and soda drinks: Your body will feel much better with water, herb tea or freshly pressed juice. Not only due to the vitamins and minerals they contain, but rather due to their valuable contribution to body detoxication.
• don’t overeat meat: A portion of pure beef, turkey or pork fillet two times weekly is fully sufficient. The rest of the necessary proteins the body requires can be extracted from eggs, milk products and different legumes, including peas, lentils, chickpeas and beans. There are also plenty of proteins in ‘’green’’ foods, such as broccoli and avocado, as well as in the seed of quinoa and chia
• cook at home: say goodbye to eating underway or eating sandwiches and chips. If your work is dynamic, don’t leave your home without a lunch box.
• don’t skip breakfast: Eating more often but less is better than depraving your body of food or going to bed hungry.

Step 2: Detoxication

The healthy body cleaning can be a part of your food regiment, but it is better to give it special attention. The idea is for the body to get rid of all unnecessary toxins and substances, which inhibit its function. Good detoxication aids digestion, metabolism, sleep, the circulatory system and has positive side-effects on every organ and system linked to losing weight. In other words, this is the best formula for health and muscle tone.

Also, important to know, detoxication is a basic physiological process. The body cleans itself daily by sweating, processing gathered toxins in the liver and releasing the ‘’junk’’ through the excretory system.  Sadly, it not always has the capacity to tackle all toxins on its own and therefore requires help.

• Detoxication with fluids: The standard procedure is to consume between 1.5-2 litres of water daily and varying with teas and freshly pressed juice. This ensures a sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals, which in turns aids the liver and the overall detoxication. For real detoxication, it is recommended fully transitioning to an all-liquid diet for an extended period of time – between 3-21 days. Vegetable and fruit smoothies, for example, are an excellent way not only to detoxicate but for consuming healthy food substances. A further advantage is their availability in food stores, making it unnecessary to invest time and personally prepare smoothies.
• Intestinal detoxication: To clean your intestines from any waste, it is fully sufficient eating food rich in fibres like oatmeal, whole grain food, fruits and vegetables, pulses and seeds. In case this poses a difficulty for you, you can also take herbal food supplements. The goal is aiding the work of your large intestine, which will in turn regulate digestion, eliminate intestinal discomfort (including problems such as swelling or constipation) and will increase the processing of healthy substances and microelements found in food.
• Liver detoxication: To maintain a healthy liver, it is usually enough to reduce or completely stop smoking, alcohol, fatty foods and medicine. The healthier our lifestyle, the less often you will need to take special care of your liver. When this is not possible, you can always turn to special food and supplements, effective in aiding liver function. The good news, adhering to a special food regiment and combining it with the periodical detoxication, you will guarantee the health and efficiency of your liver.

Step 3: Appetite control

We know how hard it is to limit eating or to forget your favourite “cheat” foods, while they are all around. We agree, sticking to a food regiment is a challenge. Especially, when going out to eat with colleagues or when having to prepare a meal for the whole family. The discomfort and psychological pressure some people experience is sometimes so intense, causing a ‘’reverse effect’’, where the weight continues to increase, instead of decreasing, because the body associates the situation with stress. In such cases are those particular food supplements very helpful, which supress the appetite and keep insulin levels in their normal proportions.

To get rid of the intrusive feeling of being hungry, it is recommended increasing your chrome intake. Chrome is known for helping the balance of blood sugar and metabolization of carbohydrates and fats. Green tea, various herbs, plants and algae also offer a good solution. Their advantage lies in their natural origin and if you don’t find them in the form of teas or potions, you can always purchase pills. Additionally consuming zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 is very helpful, as it raises the leptin levels in the body, which is directly linked to appetite control.

Naturally, feeling hungry can also be supressed with the correct eating habits. One golden rule is eating small portions every 3-4 hours, thereby avoiding an intense feeling of starvation. Follow recommendations for varying food and avoid pure carb nutrition, as they are the quickest to leave the body and also raise appetite. To control appetite, you can also eat food rich in protein.

Step 4: Burning fat

The most effective way to eliminate the accumulated fats is sports. If you devote one hour daily to physical activity, you will soon realise you are not only eliminating weight. In combination with sufficient sleep and minimal stress you can quickly achieve your target weight.

It may seem paradox, however burning fats is not achieved with hunger, but by eating often. Full food deprivation will force your body to store energy reserves in the form of fat acids. Another myth is that you must fully limit eating fats. In fact, it is the other way around – consuming healthy fats in healthy amounts is very much advised. Their ‘’secret’’ is that they are processed very slowly, increase the feeling of satiety and exit the body without being stored in fat depots. Among healthy fats are olive and coconut oil, avocado and all raw oats and seeds.

Last but not least, you can finally put an end to the well-known morning dilemma ‘’tea or coffee’’. Both drinks participate in the fat burning process and there is no need to choose between the two. Caffeine acts as a stimulant for the central nervous system and can temporarily increase the energy output of the body by 10 %. This in turn increases the metabolism and the dissolution of fat acids. Drinking tea, on the other hand, helps detoxication and aids fat burning as well. Of course, you can additionally always rely on plant extracts in the form of food supplements.

Step 5: Cosmetic care for a slim body

Various lotions against stretch marks, cellulitis and other body imperfections can also aid you in your quest to further eliminate the last traces of your battle against extra weight. Other products on the market contain special complexes of active ingredients and extracts, which help release retained water from the body and visibly slim and smooth over problem zones. Furthermore, they can positively affect the collagen in the skin and increase elasticity. With the help of quality cosmetics, you can strengthen the effect of losing weight and ensure a smooth and firm skin.