Do you wish you could lose 20 pounds in time for a special occasion coming up soon- like a wedding, a vacation or a family reunion? Do you find yourself panicking whenever you look at the calendar and realize that you need to start losing weight SOON, or it will be too late? Well, stop panicking and start doing something about it now. It’s NOT too late.

Contrary to what you may have heard, there are LOTS of fast and safe things you can do to lose weight. 20 pounds may seem like a lot of weight to lose, but it CAN be done, sooner than you think. Keep your eye on the prize (a new, slimmer you) and don’t give up before you reach your goal.

Oatmeal for breakfast. It tastes good, and it’s good for you. The fiber in oatmeal absorbs the fat and cholesterol from your bloodstream and helps your body get rid of it. It’s a great way to start losing those 20 pounds.

Drinking cold water burns more calories than drinking warm water. And drinking water instead of soda or other sweetened drinks is better for you in two ways - it fills you up, so you don’t feel hungry AND no sugar means no calories. Diet sodas may have no calories, but the “sweet taste” causes your insulin to rise, which causes cravings. For food.

Getting and maintaining a healthy weight is easy once you get into the habit of eating fruit every day. Particularly, citrus fruits, bananas and apples. The fiber in these nutrient-rich powerhouses fills you up (curbing your appetite), and helps get rid of the fat in your body.

A diet high in fiber is your Number 1 Helper when you want to lose weight. Fiber aids in both weight loss and a healthy digestive system.

A little-known metabolism booster is spicy foods. Eat something spicy several times a week and you’ll burn more calories, AND do wonders for your immune system. Don’t overdo it though - like a lot of good things, if you do too much, it won’t work nearly as well after the first few times.

Milk, cheese, yogurt and fish are great for losing weight. They are protein-rich, which makes it easy to eat just the right amount, and not too much. Fish is also loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s, so it’s a real win-win situation.

Exercise. Don’t kid yourself about this one. You don’t have to get in tri-athalon shape to lose weight (despite what you see on TV), you just need some form of regular activity to help you burn off the calories and fat. You can walk, swim, roller blade, jump rope or ride a bike. Just find something you like doing, and it won’t even feel like a chore.

Following these simple, easy tips will help you shed those 20 extra pounds before you know it.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 20th, 2009 at 2:45 am and is filed under fat loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.