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Give Me Ten

Three ways to turn heads in 2 months

By DAVID NORRIE
Published April 14, 2006

We have less than two months before Memorial Day and the official kickoff of summer.

To get in bathing suit shape, you have to start now. If you ask me in early May, "How do I lose 15 pounds in two weeks?'' my answer will be, "Cut off a leg.''

But if you are serious about looking good at the pool or the beach, you need a plan. Your body is a temple, and to build that temple you need a blueprint. So many people join a gym and show up each day and play it by ear. It's just not that simple.

A plan is necessary. Your three-pronged attack should include weights, cardio and diet. I call it the trifecta of well-being, each part relying on the others to maximize results. Repeat this: Each relies on the others to maximize results. So many of us push ourselves hard in one area but neglect the other two.

In this article I will outline a general strategy to help you turn heads in two months. Both women and men should start with a concentration on diet and cardiovascular exercise. The two columns that follow will provide more specific weight training workouts, one geared toward a woman's beach body and the other a man's.

One of the biggest mistakes I run into is wasted time and effort. An example? Overweight people doing situps or crunches. Without trying to sound mean, if you can't see your abs it's because there is a layer of fat over them, so what good is working them out? It's like constructing your dream house underground. Sure you're putting in a lot of work and there will be something going on under there, but nobody will ever see it.

Here's a simple test. Push your index finger in the center of your belly. If it goes as deep as your knuckle, chances are all the situps in the world are a wasted effort. How do we lose that fat? That dreaded d-word is the first step.

* DIET. Drastic alterations in eating habits never work in the long run. But any change, even a small one, is a step in the right direction.

Don't look for a magic pill or trendy crash diet. Just begin by eliminating one thing that's keeping that weight on (alcohol? fast-food burgers?) Then eliminate another (cheese doodles? miniature chocolates?).

Try switching to lower-calorie drinks if alcoholic beverages are your problem. Avoid those frozen concoctions they serve at the beach.

It's always a good idea to limit simple sugars and starchy foods. If you have a sweet tooth, limit it or find an alternative. I chose ice cream sweetened with Splenda. Sure, it took a couple of tries to get used to it. But soon you forget the taste of the sinful kind. Starches like breads and pastas will show up on your stomach and thighs faster than a new freckle in summer.

Now comes the structure. Without obsessively writing down every bite, get a grip on your daily caloric intake. The recommended daily diet for women is about 1,600 to 1,800 calories, and for men 2,000 to 2,200. That's a broad estimate considering the variation of body types and activity levels. Consult a trainer, nutritionist or physician for a clearer target.

Bar none, the most common problem when it comes to dieting is the misconception that far less is better.

Trainers and nutritionists hate to hear phrases like, "Oh, I did so good on my diet today. I had a salad for lunch and a cup of yogurt or a strawberry smoothie for dinner."

Where was breakfast? Lettuce by itself doesn't provide the protein a body needs, and anything made with fruit juices typically contains a lot of sugar. Two meals a day is a sure way to slow down your metabolism and prevent you from getting in that swimsuit.

Mary Keith, a nutrition and health agent at the Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension Service, says the most important things a person can do to begin a diet are to watch portion sizes and eat several meals each day. "I tell people with weight loss goals to eat five or six meals a day," Keith said. "Meal, snack, meal, snack. ...When fed small portions throughout the day, the body feels freer to spend calories, plus you never get so hungry that you're tempted to overeat."

I always find it a struggle to get this point across to my clients because common sense leads us to believe that fewer meals a day are better.

And beware of foods that are marketed as healthy. Just because it's a salad doesn't mean it's not fattening.

"Some of those salads can give you over 1,000 calories, which is more than half of the total calories needed for a day," Keith said. "It's things like croutons, fried noodles, crispy chicken and dressings that carry all the hidden calories and fat."

Next, let's talk:

* CARDIO. With your diet plan in hand, get to work on your strategy for cardiovascular fitness and burning calories. Here I believe a disciplined approach is best. Make yourself responsible for completing four cardio sessions a week, each 25 to 40 minutes.

So there you have it. I cannot stress enough the importance of sticking to your plan and being disciplined, not just a few days of the week, but consistently making decisions that will benefit your body.

Women, look for the next column to take you through a weight workout for the physique you want.

[Last modified April 13, 2006, 15:01:27]