Palm Desert, CA (PRWEB) July 4, 2008 -- JJ Virgin, Ph.D., author of "Art of Losing It!" is giving the 7 reasons on how to lose weight on the 4th of July. Millions of Americans will be kicking back on the 4th, taking it easy and celebrating by indulging in potato salad, ribs and cupcakes. Of course, as the 4th is on a Friday, chances are high that this indulgence will carry over into a weekend of spectator sports, movies and party fare. The 4th of July is one of the best days to lose weight and start your new resolve. Think of it as your midyear New Year's Day with some additional positives to get you going.

Art of Losing It

1. The weather is warm! No bundling up for you, and with great weather, come great outdoor opportunities for sports, hiking, swimming, etc. You've got friends coming over, get off the chaise lounges, grab a football and get out there. This isn't a big "bowl" day, so you have no excuse for spectating rather than participating.

2. Great natural desserts are available. There is nothing better than summertime fruits and most of them have a low sugar response and are chock full of fiber and phytonutrients(nutrients from plants). Skip the dessert platter and serve a fruit salad instead. You can dress it up with a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut or sliced almonds.

3. You are thirsty! Okay, Mother Nature got things a bit twisted--we have a highly sensitive "appestat", but our thirst mechanism is dialed down low. You know you should be drinking 8 or more glasses of water a day (helps flush out toxins, keeps you feeling full, keeps stress hormones down), but when it is 30 degrees outside it can be a bit hard to get motivated. Not so when it is 100 degrees! Supercharge your fluid intake by adding a few glasses of green tea as well (the unsweetened kind, if you get one with fruit essences it is naturally sweet), it will help boost your metabolism and balance your mood.

4. You can chill out! Stress is grenade in the war on weight. Constant stress causes your body to break down muscle (critical for keeping your metabolism going and burning more calories throughout the day), store more fat and it also raises the set point for being able to burn it back off. Take the 3-day weekend to de-stress, have fun and bring your stress hormones back into balance.

5. You can sleep in! The studies are clear, getting less than the recommended 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night (even one hour less) can lead to weight gain. When you sleep 7 hours or less, or wake up throughout the night you are hungrier, less energetic, you raise your stress hormones and your are less insulin sensitive. This translates into you being hungrier, craving more carbs and being better at storing the calories you do eat as fat, rather than burning them off as fuel.

6. Salads become main courses. When it is cold outside, we want comfort food. When it is hot, we want things that are cool and light and a salad with protein added becomes a great main course option. A caveat here, just because it is a salad, it isn't automatically health promoting. Focus on a variety of non starchy vegetables and greens, some clean lean protein like chicken or fish and a light dressing of olive oil and vinegar with fresh herbs.

7. You've got the barbeque going! Grilling your food is a great way to add flavor without adding fat. Make your own marinades by experimenting with fresh herbs, flavored vinegars and extra virgin olive oil. The obvious items to throw on the grill are chicken and fish, but you can expand your offerings by marinating thick slices of non starchy veggies and adding them to the mix. These can then be chopped and added to salad, put into your morning omelet or served as a great side dish-hot or cold!

Celebrate your independence from fattening foods and poor lifestyle choices this 4th of July and use this weekend to jump start your resolve....

For more information please visit: http://www.JJVirgin.com and http://www.TheArtOfLosingit.com

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