You know you should eat healthy. You know you should exercise. But it's too late to worry about all that now. You have a special event coming up that you're dying to look good for. Relax. I got you. As long as you follow these simple tips, there's no reason you can't drop a quick 5 to 10 pounds in the next week.
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This post was originally published on June 13, 2013.
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Start your day with a magical fat loss drink
We have to start burning fat as soon as we lift our head off the pillow. Luckily, there's an easy way to make it happen. All you have to do is pour a glass of this magical morning drink.
The recipe is simple: Warm water with a squirt of lemon.
It supplies your body with a quick burst of fat-fighting antioxidants. It also stimulates your liver, which is one of your most important fat-burning organs.
Do some morning cardio on an empty stomach
After you have your drink, it's the best time to start blasting away fat. Aim for 30 to 40 minutes of cardio, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Because your stomach is empty, your body will start using stored body fat for energy, allowing you to slim down faster.
Eat every 3 hours
Make sure to eat small meals every few hours to keep your metabolism working at full speed. Focus on eating lean proteins (chicken, fish, turkey, etc) and high fiber foods (fruits, vegetable juice) because these will help you stay full on less calories. You want to stay away from starchy carbs like breads, potatoes, pasta, and rice. These foods can cause fat-storing insulin spikes and also cause you to overeat.
Don't drink calories
This simple tweak makes a huge difference. Make sure to stop drinking calories. This means stay away from the sugary sodas, iced tea, fruit juice, and coffee. Stick to low calorie beverages like Jamaican water, oolong tea, or–best of all–water. Cold water is the best thing you can possibly drink. Not only is it calorie-free, but it literally causes you to burn fat. Studies have shown that drinking 8 glasses of water per day can cause you to burn an extra 7.3 pounds of fat per year. This is because your body has to heat the water before it can use it (and that burns calories.)
Get your beauty sleep
One of the best things you can do is also the easiest. Without enough sleep, your body produces stress hormones that cause you to cling to fat. So make sure you get your beauty sleep in every night. Aim for 8 hours.
