Week Two: Weight Loss

     Okay, so I took about a 10 day hiatus. I kind of rearranged my priorities, but I am officially back on track. I did not do anything too crazy as to not throw off my week of detox, but I certainly have not been eating as healthy as I hoped nor exercising. I have realized that I need to keep a food journal. It is a great accountability partner. I seem to have convinced myself that if I'm not writing it down, it's not real... But for some reason knowing that I am going to be posting my meals and keeping track of them makes me feel obligated to eat healthier. So, back to the daily food and exercise journal I go!

     My book, Bikini Fit, also recommends that you keep a food journal, as well as raid your pantry and get rid of any temptations, and meal planning. It suggests that a balanced diet includes 1 serving of sugars and fats, 2-3 servings of protein and dairy, 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, and 4-5 servings of starches. It also includes examples of each on pages 50-51. Some tips include the following:

• eat little and often
• take time to enjoy your food
• drink up - 8 glasses of water per day
• exercise more
• keep nutritious snacks handy
• beware of empty calories
• control your appetite - learning when to say no
• low-fat cooking

   
     The book includes suggested meals on pages 56-57, which I am going to try and follow. It also says to not skip breakfast, even if it's only a banana. This helps give your digestive system a kick-start to restart your metabolism after a night's sleep.

     Exercise for week two involves a muscle-building work-out. A 5-10 minute warm-up, 20 minutes of a muscle-building workout with heavy weights, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, 10 minutes of toners, and a 5-10 minute cool down. Since I am not a member at a gym, I will most likely stick to the suggested exercises in the book and exercise routines found via Comcast On-Demand. Lastly, the chapter on week two recommends exfoliation during bathing, hydrotherapy, and massage. Apparently continual rubbing of lotion onto your skin helps to break-up and prevent cellulite.