How to lose weight for summer, fast

According to the WHO 44% of diabetes, 23% of ischemic heart disease and 7 - 41 percent of certain cancers are attributable to overweight and obesity. Fortunately, just a modest decrease in weight can help alleviate the increased health risks associated with being overweight or obese.  Here are a few simple strategies to kick start your weight loss plan just in time for summer.

Water should be your best friend.  Aim for 7-8 glasses every day.  In addition to staying hydrated, research shows that drinking two glasses (8 ounces) of water before every meal, in combination with a reduction in portion size, can help you lose weight and keep it off for up to one year.

Sleep is your other best friend. Aim to sleep at least 7 hours every night.  Research has demonstrated that the hormones leptin and ghrelin, both of which affect feelings of fullness and hunger, are affected by how much or little you sleep.  Good quality sleep allows your body to repair any cellular or systemic damage accrued throughout the day.

To give your metabolism a boost, try supplementing with Xanthigen and/or l-arginine.  Xanthigen is a combination of brown seaweed and pomegranate seed oil extracts. Brown seaweed contains the compound fucoxanthin, which increases the rate at which the body metabolizes calories, and pomegranate seed oil contains punicic acids, which decreases the accumulation of liver fat.  Research has indicated that these two compounds are more effective in reducing weight in combination, rather than alone. 

Take a multivitamin.  A 2010 study asked participants to take a calcium supplement or multivitamin for 6 months. The group taking the vitamin wound up having way less body fat than the other group. Researchers concluded that taking a vitamin might signal us to eat more when we're lacking nutrients and taking a multi vitamin does help make up for these deficiencies.

Exercise at least 30 minutes, most days.  It goes without say that exercise helps stimulate your metabolism and helps create the caloric deficit necessary for weight loss.  The more lean body mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be.  To aid in the caloric deficit, decrease your portion sizes at every meal. 

Practice the 20-minute rule.  Start with the right portion sizes each time you eat. If you finish one portion and are craving a second helping, wait 20 minutes and see if the craving remains. Generally, it will subside and you'll realize you actually are naturally full. It takes our bodies this long to recognize when we're physically full. If your stomach's still rumbling after 20 minutes, help yourself to more food.  Remember, just a 5 to 7 percent decrease in body weight can help prevent diabetes and possibly help alleviate other health issues associated with being overweight or obese.