Swimsuit Season

Spring has finally arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, and as the temperature climbs, the weight and amount of clothing we wear decreases.  And unfortunately, all that stored-up winter fat is now on full display.

Fortunately, it’s never too late to work on dropping some of those pounds.  It’s something I’ve wrestled with for years, and while I’ll probably never be as skinny as I was 10 years ago, (as shown in the photo), it never hurts to try.

I’m not talking about radical diet changes, or violent shifts in your weight.  I just have a few simple steps I’m taking to lose some of the fat. 

Firstly, I’ve tried to cut all carbonated drinks out of my diet.  No pop.  No soda.  Not even diet.  Stop drinking Coke or Pepsi or any of the others, and you’ll start seeing a change within a couple of weeks.  I’ve replaced that beverage with water.  Lots of it.  I’ve got a Evian bottle that I refill from the water cooler at work, and I drink out of that.  Reusing the bottle is cheaper than buying new all the time, and it cuts down on the amount of waste I send to the landfill.

Secondly, I’ve upped my dairy intake.  Here’s the wild thing too: I don’t drink milk directly.  I pour some on my Lucky Charms every morning, and it seems to help.  Yes, Lucky Charms and most similar cereals contain a lot of sugar, but since it’s the first meal of the day, that sugar gets burned off quickly.  (And since I like the taste, it’s an easy routine to get into.)

Thirdly, if there’s a magic formula for losing weight, it’s this: burn more calories than you consume.  I’m getting more exercise.  I even joined a running club.   No, I don’t run, but I do walk the course they set out twice a month, and I’m not the only one walking, so it’s cool.

Lastly, remember: you didn’t put on that last 50 pounds overnight.  You won’t take it off that quickly either.  Slow and steady wins the race.

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