Look good in your skinny jeans without the sweat
The time to huddle under sweaters is over! With spring on our doorstep can summer be far behind? But before you go into panic mode, Nykaa has put together eight shape-shifting secrets to bring your figure center stage.
Watch those hidden fat fields
Sure, you're feeling virtuous, ordering the Caesar salad and soup instead of a burger at lunch. But beware! Your supposedly slimming salad dressing is laced with fat and calories. And the croutons and cheese only pile on more fat. Instead, opt for clear chicken or vegetable soup and some grilled paneer or fish with a side of stir fried veggies. Similarly ditch calorie-laden daiquiris, margaritas and milk shakes for diluted fruit and vegetable juice.
Skip meals to….pile on the pounds
Skimping on breakfast or foregoing lunch to slip into that LBD is as pointless as trying to traverse a busy street blindfolded. As the days get warmer your metabolism slows down, making you burn fewer calories. Eat every couple of hours to rev up a sluggish metabolic rate and your tummy will be flat enough to bare when summer comes calling. When hunger pangs strike, eat home-made popcorn, idlis (minus the coconut chutney) and fruit.
Eat what you like
You won't win any awards for denying yourself your fave foods. All you'll do is end up feeling like a martyr and bingeing after a week of abstinence. If you want to bite into a potato, go ahead, as long as it hasn't been deep fried or mashed with butter.Love chocolate? Eat one or two squares of the dark variety after dinner. Craving pizza? Indulge in one or two slices of thin crust with loads of veggies piled on.
Long cool slim drinks
Hot days mean sipping on long cool beverages but watch out for hidden calories. Three iced teas have as many calories as a portion of French fries and burger! Instead, have a vodka with tonic or a rum and diet coke. Better still indulge in a glass of red wine. It has multiple heart health benefits as well. If you're a teetotaler, nariyal panai and nimbu pani (minus the sugar) are almost have calorie-free.
Ban fad diets
We understand your long-awaited summer holiday is just two months away but surviving on cabbage soup or pineapple and papaya is not going to get you on the plane. A hospital bed sounds more probable. Women need between 1,200 and 1,800 calories a day, men between 2,000 and 2,500. Eating anything less than 1000 calories will only send your metabolism into starvation mode, making your body hold onto fat stores, making weight loss impossible.
Treat yourself
Though ice creams and sundaes are obviously off the menu, you can indulge in some low-fat ice cream or home-made fruit sorbet. Just blend together soft pulpy fruit like strawberries, mangoes, pears and peaches, add some sugar substitute and freeze. Indulge in scoopfuls after meals for a delicious, guilt-free treat.
Beware liquid calories
Milkshakes, frappuccinos, cappuccinos and hot chocolate are delicious. But they're also a minefield of calories and rarely fill you up. Instead opt for skimmed milk cold coffee or fruit smoothies whipped up with yoghurt. They are equally delicious and have less than half the calories of their more sinful alternates.
Get moving
You've heard it before, exercise—even small bursts of it—can trim your waistline. Hate the gym? Liken walking on the treadmill to slow death? It's easy to incorporate exercise in your daily routine without even realizing it. Just get off a couple of stops before your usual halt and walk the rest of the way. Take the stairs to your flat or office. Walk your dog –even if you don't have one. Cool off in the swimming pool, join a Bollywood dancing class, the options are limitless.
Come on get moving. The skinny jeans are waiting….
