7 Steps to YOUR Ideal Wedding Weight

Most people I talk to and counsel think they have to eat less, usually a lot less food, to lose weight. Not true. You are actually slowing down your metabolism more and risking more weight gain.

Most people think they need hours and hours of cardio to burn fat. Also Not True.

The one thing we can control (for the most part) everyday is what and when we eat. So, you should have an eating plan where you actually plan out the times of the day when you eat. I will help you with what to eat in a moment.

Try this 7-Step strategy to reaching your ideal wedding weight:

1. Aim for 4-5 "small meals" a day Choose fresh fruits or veggies first. They supply you with numerous antioxidants, fiber, electrolytes and anti-inflammatory properties. Go with small a lean protein source next. Poultry, fish, beef, pork or beans/legumes. I personally use Herbalife meal meal replacement shakes. Pick a complex carbohydrate last. Use whole grain products whenever possible. This group should also be your smallest portion. Combination foods like skim milk,non fat yogurt, beans (complex carbs and protein), and other high metabolic foodssee step 5 are a great choice too.

2. Eat within 15 minutes of waking up. This actually is the best way to rev up your metabolism. Do not have coffee or tea until after you are done eating or have it with your breakfast. Don't say I am not hungry in the morning, to methat just means you eat too much in the evenings or you eat too late in the evenings. Add in a morning exercise session and you will turn into a fat burning machine

3. Try and eat every 3 hours This keeps your metabolism fired up and working for you, not against you. Believe it or not, you should eat even if you are not hungry to stay on the eating plan. Small meals or a snack.

4. Eat within 15 minutes from the end of your workout By eating immediately after your workout, you will allow your muscles to take in the necessary nutrients to build and repair your lean muscle tissue. You will also increase recovery time and reduce soreness. 30 minutes per day of exercise is recommended. You should have a balance of strength training and cardio based activities. Interval strength training, in my opinion, is the best way to burn fat fast, gain strength and gets your cardio in. You can also do this type of training in less than 30 minutes. (see our 7 minute workout at http://www.toddcambio.com/2009/06/fat-burning-100-workout.html)

5. Eat more high metabolic foods (food's high in protein and fiber or foods that exhibit fat burning properties) These foods are things like avocados (which have heart healthy fats as well), berries, almonds, beans, non fat yogurt, oatmeal, green tea, broccoli, clear broth soups and hot peppers. These foods make your body expend a lot of energy to break them down. Unlike simple sugars in soda, cookies and candy. For coffee and tea, I do use sugar substitutes over regular sugar. The pros far out weight the cons to me. Skim milk instead of cream, half and half or whole milk.

6. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day Try drinking 16 oz. of ice cold water before each main meal and right before bed. It will help curb your appetite and burn a few extra calories while you sleep. Replace your sodas (regular of course and diet ones too), juices (eat the fresh fruit instead), and other high calorie drinks with water.

7. Sleep Yes, sleep is that important. Lack of sleep leads to over eating. Inadequate sleep interferes with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose, which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body-fat storage. Inadequate sleep may also drive down leptin levels, which causes the body to crave carbohydrateswhich gets stored as fat by the body.

If you follow this type of eating plan, you will actually feel less hungry throughout the day because you will be eating more often. Also, your body's metabolism will burn more calories throughout the day.