“Shall I title this ‘Easy ways to drop five pounds’ or ‘Healthy ways to drop five pounds,” I asked my daughter.

“Healthy ways to drop five pounds. Because it’s not easy,” Chelsea answered.

The beauty of a five-pound weight loss program is that success comes more quickly than with larger goals. Then you can just repeat the process for the next five pounds. 

Dr. Oz suggests using a ‘robust reward’ system. Set a reward for each five pounds. Celebrating with a pedicure, movie date, massage, etc. triggers your brain chemistry to help you succeed.

Because eating frequent light meals is better for our bodies, keep healthy snacks at hand. Here are some lighten up favorites.

 

• Hardboiled eggs.
• Celery sticks and Laughing Cow low fat Swiss cheese.
• Protein bars.
• Protein powder mixed in skim milk or juice.
• A small handful of raw or dry roast nuts.
• Trail mix.
• Banana.
• Apple with Jarlsburg lite swiss cheese.
• Tuna fish with fat free cottage cheese instead of mayo.

 

Fruit smoothies

 

1 ½ cup frozen or fresh fruit and berries

1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt (9 g. protein)

1 cup low fat soy milk (5 g. protein)

 

Blend until smooth.

Save time! Place a second batch of ingredients in covered container, refrigerate and blend tomorrow. (For fresh taste, don’t blend until ready to drink.)

 

Psyllium seed husk for internal cleansing

 

 20 oz. water or diluted fruit juice.

Place ¼ teaspoon fiber in mouth and wash it down with liquid. I prefer diluted fruit juice.

Repeat four times until you have taken one teaspoon psyllium and have downed 20 oz liquid. Repeat three times per day. While you’re drinking the liquid, take an acidophilus or probiotic tablet to maximize absorption of nutrients, and two of Trader Joes’s Very Green capsules.

After your body adjusts to the extra fiber you can take ½ teaspoon, drink and repeat to total a heaping teaspoon.

CAUTION: Never swallow too much psylliun powder at once because it expands, and you want that to happen in your stomach, NOT in your throat or esophagus. Take fiber on an empty stomach. ALWAYS drink the 20 oz liquid so the psyllium will not harden (think cement) in your intestines.

 

Each individual succeeds differently. Choose one of these tried and true tips:

 

• Eat what you want but eat less. Cut your portions in half.

• Cut out sugar, fried foods and white flour.
• Be sure your plate is filled with 2/3 fruits and vegetables.
• Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. That way you can still fill your plate.
• Skip the candy counter. Use sweets as a reward, not as a staple.
• Eat every three or four hours.

 

Fat cells contain toxins. When I drop a few pounds at first I usually feel a little achy or sluggish. That’s because my body is now filtering waste products out. So be sure to drink at least 64 oz of filtered water daily, add fresh lemon and take 2000 units of Ester-C. Packets of Emergence-C are perfect for adding vitamin C and valuable minerals and nutrients.

Lemon is a must for cleansing the liver, purifying the intestines and improving digestion. Use 1-3 fresh lemons daily. My favorite way is to juice 5 lemons with an electric citrus juicer. (Black and Decker citrus juicers sell for $15- $20.) Place in glass jar, stir in 1 tsp. honey and refrigerate. Pour a tablespoon or more into water or diluted fruit juice. Delicious!

Thirty minutes of walking is a daily requirement to help with weight loss. Deep stretching also helps increase circulation and remove toxins. Gentle spinal twists squeeze wastes from the internal organs, increase metabolism and stimulate nerve flow. You can also squeeze and massage fatty areas on the tummy or thighs to detoxify and help them shrink.

Fire up your fat-burning lean muscles by strengthening with hand weights.

Do pay more attention to your energy level and to your clothes getting looser than to the scales. Muscle is heavier than fat. If you lose five pounds of fat but gain two pounds of fat burners, a.k.a. muscle, your scales will tell that you have only lost three pounds.

As you lighten up, your energy and vitality will carry you through our beautiful Northwest summer looking and feeling great.

 

Kay Wagner LMP, is a NASM certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor. Her massage/fitness studio is located at 828 2nd St, ste H in Old Town Mukilteo. For more information, call (425) 353-4545,email kay@kaywagnerwellness.com or visit www.kaywagnerwellness.com