Oh My Gosh, I'm Overweight!!!

You realized that recently, your clothes just seem to be so tight, it's like they keep choking the life out of you. You wonder why all the clothes seem to be shrinking, could it be the new detergent you've been using, or maybe your clothes have just had one too many machine washes. You keep debating the possible reasons in your mind until a couple of friends, family or colleagues start to say you seem to have added weight. You decide to get on a scale and your worst fears are confirmed. You take a step further and calculate your BMI - Oh my gosh, you're overweight! 

Just relax. I know it doesn't look good or feel good right now, but what's done can be undone in the case of weight gain. You just need to make a plan to get your perfect weight back again, plus save money on having to change your entire wardrobe to comfortable accommodate the new size. These are some tips that could help you lose all the unwanted extra.

1) Green tea - way to go!

Now is the time to share the China man's love for tea. People who took green-tea extract three times a day saw their metabolic rate increase by about 4 percent, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.It may be because green tea contains catechins, which increase levels of the metabolism-speeding brain chemical norepinephrine, says Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist and author of Cooking with Joy.

2) Drink lots and lots of water

A new German study found that when you drink 17 ounces of water (about two glasses) within a certain time frame, your metabolic rate shoots up by about 30 percent. Using these results, they estimate that by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 liters a day, a person would burn an extra 17,400 calories a year, resulting in about a five-pound weight loss.

3) Skip the booze

Want to keep your favorite meals from going straight to your hips (thighs, belly)? Wash them down with water, not wine, not beer, not anything with even a hint of alcohol. Alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. A British study found that when alcohol was added to a high-fat, high-calorie meal, less dietary fat was burned off and more was stored as body fat.

4) Rev up workouts

Researchers at Laval University in Quebec found that high-intensity interval training burns more fat than regular, consistent aerobic exercise. If you usually jog at a 10-minute-mile pace, for example, add a 30-second sprint every five minutes. Or add a one-minute incline to your treadmill workout every five minutes. “Even if you just have 10 minutes for a quick workout, you can walk at a normal pace and then add in a 30-second bout of speed-walking every three minutes,” recommends Gaesser.

5) Don’t skip breakfast

This has been said time and again, please don't! Studies show that eating breakfast plays a part in successful weight loss — almost 80 percent of people who successfully keep weight off chow down on this meal, according to a study published in Obesity Research. “Your metabolism slows as you sleep, and the process of digesting food revs it up again,” explains Heller. Aim for a 300- to 400-calorie breakfast, such as a high-fiber cereal (another metabolism booster) with skim milk and fruit.

6) Include more protein in your diet

I had a very big lunch yesterday, too big, I must confess. But I made myself happy with the fact that my heaped plate was filled with an assortment of protein and greens - chicken, pork, beef, and salads. Having a little protein at every meal fires up your metabolism. “Your digestive system uses more energy to break it down, so you burn more calories,” explains Lisa Dorfman, R.D. However, keep protein levels to between 20 and 35 percent of your diet; eating too much of it can cause kidney strain and may cause your body to store too much fat.

7) Snack away during the day

Grazing is a surprisingly good idea because it helps you avoid metabolic slowdown. “Your body will be tricked into thinking it’s constantly eating, so it will never slow your metabolism down,” explains Bauer. Aim for five small meals (200 to 500 calories) a day rather than three large ones. Also try not to go more than four hours without eating — if you eat breakfast at 7am, for example, have a snack at 10am, lunch at noon, another snack at 3pm and dinner at 7pm.

8) Skip the starch Carb

Consider this: Refined carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes and rice, create a surge in insulin that in turn drives down your resting metabolic rate, explains Aronne. “It’s important to keep carbohydrates in your diet, but really focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which have less of an effect on insulin levels,” he explains. And when buying whole-grain breads and cereals, make sure the first ingredient listed is whole wheat, whole oat or cracked wheat.

9) Pace while you’re on the phone

People who are constantly in motion — crossing and uncrossing their legs, stretching and pacing — burn more calories. When researchers at the Mayo Clinic asked subjects to eat an additional 1,000 calories a day for eight weeks, they found that only the nonfidgeters stored the calories as fat.

10) Eat more bananas

They’re full of potassium, which revs up your metabolism by regulating your body’s water balance, says vitamin expert Susan Lark, M.D., author of The Lark Letter.

If you’re dehydrated, you’ll burn fewer calories. Make sure you’re getting at least 2,000 mg: a banana has 450 mg, a cup of milk has 370 mg and an orange has 250 mg.

FINALLY Get enough sleep. A study at the University of Chicago Medical Center found that people who got only four hours of sleep had much more difficulty processing carbs. This is due to Increased levels of insulin and the stress hormone cortisol. “When you’re exhausted, your body lacks the energy to do its normal day-to-day functions, which includes burning calories efficiently,” says Talbott. So the best way to make sure your metabolism runs smoothly is to get six to eight hours of shut-eye each night.

All the best on your journey back to the perfect weight!

Cover image via Sodahead.com