Swimming suit season is nearly upon us. Is your body ready? I know mine is not. Those insulating winter pounds seem to remain on long after the cold months are over. Don’t worry, though, there is still time to lose that extra weight before donning your swimsuit. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Get your body ready for summer

The faster you eat, the bigger your BMI

Eating quickly will cause you to overeat. An article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported on researchers in New Zealand who “looked at the relationship 2,500 women had between their self-reported speeds of eating and their body mass indexes.†The study revealed that the faster women ate, the higher were their BMIs. Eating while you watch TV also leads to mindless overeating. Get rid of distractions during mealtime.

Eating more often

Limiting to just three meals a day isn’t necessarily healthy. Lauren Antonucci, M.S., owner of Nutrition Energy in New York City says, “eating more often keeps your metabolism humming, and prevents you from getting super hungry.†But your snacks should be healthy-stick to fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And stay from packaged or junk foods.

Use food rewards sensibly

While working out is good, sometimes it’s simple to use a good workout as an excuse to eat sugary or fatty food. Make sure before you start exercising, you set a limit on your “reward calories.†Try nutrition expert Nisevich Bede’s rule of thumb: “A safe number is 200 reward calories, and if you went for a really, really long workout, 400 calories.†She suggests getting these calories from semi-healthy places, like low-fat ice cream or a single piece of dark chocolate.

Sources

Yahoo! Shine

USA Today