Get Skinny in a Week

Are you scheduled to go on a trip where you'll have to put on a bathing suit or are you desperately trying to fit into a bridesmaid dress before your friend's big day? If you want to achieve permanent weight loss, long term gradual weight loss through diet and exercise is the best option. However, if you need to look slim and only have a week to do it, there are some guidelines you can follow. Read on for tips and tricks on how to get skinny in a week.

Steps

Diet

1. Cut down hard on non-water drinks. One way to get rid of those pesky extra calories is to replace unhealthy drinks with water..
   • Sports drinks, sodas and alcoholic beverages don't satisfy hunger and just add empty calories.
   • Even diet drinks can have negative consequences on your weight. Research has shown that diet soda is linked to weight gain.
   • Drinking two 8 oz. glasses of water before each meal will help you to fill up your stomach so that you don't overeat.
   • Purchase a refillable water bottle and bring it with you wherever you go. That way, you can continue to hydrate yourself throughout the day without going for sugary drinks or sodas.
2. Reduce the amount of white grains and dairy products in your diet. By eliminating foods that cause bloating, you will be able to look skinnier in no time.
   • Carbohydrates cause bloating, especially around your stomach where it will be most visible.
   • Simple carbohydrates are also easier to digest, so they leave you hungrier even though you've consumed plenty of calories.
   • Dairy can cause bloating if you have lactose intolerance or allergies. If this happens to you, switch to dairy substitutes. However, if you don't have this symptom, milk can be a healthy part of your diet.
3. Eat fiber. Having a lot of fiber in your diet helps you feel full sooner and for a longer period of time. It also moves fat through the digestive system so that less of it is absorbed into your body.
   • Swap out your morning bowl of cereal with oatmeal or some fat-free yogurt sprinkled with flaxseed instead.
   • Instead of pasta, add fiber rich foods like lentils, dry beans and vegetables to your diet.
4. Eat plenty of vegetables. Complex carbohydrates in vegetables are digested more slowly than the carbohydrates in pizza and bread.
   • Vegetables also have a lot of water, so they help get rid of excess water weight.
   • Because vegetables are high in volume but low in calories, eating them will help you feel full faster while consuming less calories overall.
5. Skip dessert. Not only does dessert usually add extra calories when you are already satisfied and full, the high amounts of sugars and carbohydrates can also lead to bloating.
   • If you have a craving for something sweet, opt for fruit or a small square of dark chocolate instead. Dark chocolate is good for you!
   • Avoid places that can trigger your sugar cravings such as your favorite bakery, restaurant, the bakery section of the grocery store, or the candy section of the drugstore.
6. Slow down when you eat. When you lead a busy lifestyle, you often end up wolfing down food in your car, at your desk or while standing. This doesn't allow your body to let you know when it's full
   • When you eat slower, you give your brain the time to communicate with your stomach and tell you that it's time to stop eating.
   • When you feel satisfied with your meal, stop eating.
7. Restrict calories. In order to lose weight you need to remove calories from your diet responsibly.
   • A reasonable caloric goal for each day is about 1,200-1,500 in order to steadily lose weight.
   • Even though you're cutting calories, it is important to make sure that you are still getting the nutrients you need. Cut out foods that don't offer many nutrients (sugary drinks, desserts, and junk food) and make room for fresh vegetables, fruits, and lean meats.
   • If you cut your calorie intake too severely, your body will go into starvation mode and store more fat.

Exercise

1. Do cardio exercises. Doing a cardio exercise that gets your heart rate up is the best way to lose calories and shed the pounds. You will want to be consistent and work out every single day if you want to drop the weight in a week.
   • Choose a cardio exercise like running, swimming, biking or using the elliptical.
   • To keep yourself motivated, set an alarm for a time to go to the gym or start exercising. This will integrate the exercise into your schedule and remind you to go.
   • Ask a friend to work out with you. Going to the gym or jogging is easier when you have someone with you to hold you accountable. It also makes exercise more enjoyable.
   • In order to burn calories faster, you'll want to increase the intensity of your workout. If you're on an elliptical or treadmill, bring up the incline and level of your workout.
   • Cardio exercises are most effective when they are 40-60 minutes long. Set aside about an hour to work out each day.
2. Do interval training. Interval training is the practice of alternating short bursts of intense activity with intervals of less intense activity as you're working out. Interval training helps you to burn more calories as you work out.
   • Integrate interval training into your existing workout. For example, if you like to jog lightly, insert short bursts of sprinting into your workout. If you use an elliptical, set it up so that every 5-10 minutes, the level of your workout goes up.
   • Interval training improves cardiovascular fitness and also increases the body's ability to burn fat.
3. Do push-ups and lunges. Doing a few sets of push-ups and lunges every other day will help tone your muscles and make you look skinnier at the end of the week.
   • If you are going to be wearing something that reveals your upper body (a bikini top or a strapless dress), do more push-ups. They will target your upper body and make your arms and shoulders look more toned.
   • If you are going to be wearing something that reveals your lower body (shorts or a skirt), doing lunges will firm up your butt, hips and thighs.
4. Take the stairs. Try to incorporate as much exercise as you can into your daily life so that you can continue burning calories and toning your muscles.
   • Take away the lazy shortcuts. For example, if you usually take the elevator, start taking the stairs. If you drive to the post office even though it's a block away, walk instead. If the lights are on in the kitchen, get up and turn them off instead of asking somebody else to do it.

Tips

• Drink lots of water. You may think you are hungry, but really you might be thirsty. Remember to drink a glass of water half an hour before eating, it will cut down your appetite.
• Get enough sleep during the week so that you don't experience cravings the next day. Research shows that when you don't get enough sleep, your leptin levels go down and you want more food.
• When you are full, stop eating. Never force yourself to finish the food on your plate.
• It's important to get a good healthy meal. Don't starve yourself.
• Don't push yourself too hard, make sure you know your limits and use that knowledge to your advantage. If you know you can only do 40 push ups, aim for 41 or 42. Even though it's a small step, it's still a step in the right direction.
• Crunches, obliques, and squats will help you tone your body, so do at least 50 of each exercise daily.
• When you get food, try to predict how much you'll need, instead of eating something, taking more, and then getting thirds. Take the food, and finish what's on the plate without getting more.
• Plan your meals for the coming week and do all your grocery shopping at once. That way, if you get any cravings for unhealthy food, you will have a healthy choice available..
• Exercise whenever possible.
• Don't eat within three hours of bedtime. Eating food before going to sleep will prohibit the calories from food being burnt.
• Try eating with your non-dominant hand. This helps you eat slower, so if you're right-handed, eat with your left hand, or if you're left-handed, eat with your right hand.
• When you finish eating dinner, go to the park or outside and walk for at least 30 minutes and run for one minute.
• Use the stairs whenever possible to help burn up calories.
• Keep on the move as much as possible.
• Be careful though, not eating can result to anorexia and other eating disorders.
• If you don't like drinking plain tap water, add some lemons to it.
• Switch off the Tv and go outside.
• Every day, write a list of the food you ate. Work out how many calories it was. Lose a few more everyday for the week.
• Cold peppermint tea and lemon is delicious and an alternative to water.
• For a healthy goal, think of how your body will look and feel after you treat it right.

Warnings

• If you find yourself getting dizzy or lightheaded when you are working out, you should sit down, drink water, and eat something. Do not push yourself too hard.
• Restricting caloric intake can be dangerous for your health. Remember to stay within a healthy range for your body type.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh produce
• Fiber rich foods
• Water bottle
• Gym membership (optional)

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Sources and Citations

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