Americans wolf down an average of 384 more calories on holidays, reports a study in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. Keep that in mind this Memorial Day weekend, the official start of barbecue season.
A beef patty with cheddar, ketchup, and relish on a bun can easily top 475 calories, but you can slim it down considerably without sacrificing flavor—or a bikini-ready bod.
Here’s how to build a better burger:
Bend to get more buff.
In a study reported in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, volunteers followed a strength-training regimen three times a week, with half of them adding two stretching sessions to their routines. After eight weeks, the flexible group almost tripled their muscle strength.
Stretching, like lifting, causes tiny tears in your muscle; as your body repairs them, the tissue becomes stronger, says study coauthor Jason Winchester, Ph.D., of George Mason University.
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We’re giving away 5 copies of Ultimate You! Inside you’ll find a 4-phase fat-loss plan with the revolutionary concept of metabolic disturbance at its core. Metabolic disturbance revs up fat-burning hormones during your workout and creates a post-workout “afterburn” that torches calories for hours after you leave the gym. Plus you’ll learn how to easily and naturally manipulate hormones that affect fat gain and fat loss with a diet full of whole foods—including dozens of meal ideas and recipes.
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PLUS: See our awesome bikini workout from coauthor Joe Dowdell right here!
I have two words for you: conscious indulgence. Chances are, you’ve got the second part down, because who doesn’t feel entitled to treat herself to some delicious menu options when she’s on vacation? The problem is, having dessert and a pina colada every day can add up to a gain of three pounds in a week! So indulge consciously: Don’t deprive yourself, but pick your pleasures. If you have a mimosa with brunch, skip dessert that evening (or have just one spoonful of your boyfriend’s brownie sundae). Stick to this plan and who knows…you might even lose some weight!
Nothing will make your belly roll spontaneously combust, but green tea and hot peppers may help it shrink. They both contain antioxidants that have been shown to amp up metabolism, giving you a slight, temporary calorie-burning boost. Unfortunately, you’ll never be able to drink enough green tea or eat enough hot sauce to incinerate a wedge of chocolate cake–and it would be bellyache-inducing to try. Fat-burning power aside, tea and peppers are flavorful and low-calorie, so they make smart diet staples.
It’s day five of National
Women’s Health Week, and while most women are trying to lose weight, not enough are doing it the healthy way. So today is all about reviewing the top tips for healthy weight loss:
Eat when you’re hungry! Starving yourself will get you nowhere near healthy and happy. Food should be a big part of your diet, and don’t you forget that. But just because food is around (when isn’t it?) doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Mindless munching is a sure-fire way to pack on the pounds. Ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?" If the answer is yes, go get some healthy food. Otherwise, sip something, chew gum, or just talk… anything to keep those jaws occupied!
