Summer is clearly behind us, but those long days sipping mojitos at the beach have likely left their mark on your body. DIET is probably a big word on your mind!

But getting back to the grind is tough enough, so why make things harder with a diet of deprivation?

What if we could eliminate those summer pounds by changing just a few habits? Yes, I mean slim down without counting calories! Here are 13 easy tips to apply for visible results in no time:

1 – I replace my morning cereal or toast with a buckwheat crepe. → Most breakfast cereals have a very high glycemic load! Buckwheat is more filling, has a low GL, contains antioxidants and is gluten-free (for better digestion and a flatter belly).

2 – I have a 4pm snack of raw almonds and fresh fruit. → I avoid snacking in the office and giving in to cravings when I get back home to prep dinner.

3 – I don’t call or email my colleague who’s just down the hall from me. I’ve got two legs (which are nice and tanned from summer vacation), so I get up and take a walk to visit him or her! → An accumulation of little movements like these can burn more than 300 calories per day (that’s 2 lbs of fat lost in 20 days!).

4 – Instead of drinking a glass of juice in the morning, I eat a whole fruit (yes, even if the juice bottle says “no sugar added”). I drink pure water the rest of the day → A glass of juice is missing most of the fruit’s fiber, hence it elevates your blood sugar more quickly than a whole fruit. Fructose trapped in the fiber of the fruit is assimilated more slowly.

5 – I replace regular pasta with spaghetti squash. → 4 times less calories and serves just like spaghetti. Very tasty!

6. I spend as many phone calls as possible standing, moving around, doing lunges, or walking. → Every half hour of fidgeting or to walking burns at least 200 calories (that’s 2 lbs of fat lost in 1 month!).

7 – I contract my abs and glutes when I’m sitting at the computer and whenever I walk through a door. → Ideal for toning up effortlessly and a flatter stomach.

8 – I work my thighs while watching TV. → I place a rubber ball between my knees. Keeping my back straight, I squeeze the ball as hard as possible by contracting my inner thighs.

9 – I do at least 5 minutes of abdominal breathing a day. → This allows me to breathe better and reduce my stress which contributes to a flatter stomach!

10 – I shake my booty (forward-back and side-to-side) with the “Brazilian Move” when I brush my teeth 2 x 3 minutes per day. → I have a firm, toned butt!

11 – I replace sugar in my yogurt or coffee with stevia. → 0 calories vs. 20 calories for a teaspoon of sugar and no impact on insulin, the hormone responsible for storing sugar as fat.

12 – I replace all refined grains (white bread, white pasta, white rice) with whole grains which have a low GL: wholegrain bread and pasta, brown rice, etc. → I stabilize my blood sugar and therefore snacking cravings disappear!

13 – For 1 week, I remove meat and dairy from my diet and opt for vegetarian protein instead (legumes, tofu, soy). → My skin glows, I have better digestion, a flatter belly and most of all: amazing energy!

Your turn to try!

Valerie Orsoni
Your Weight Loss & Wellness Coach