Strength-train before doing any cardiovascular work, says Ken Fitzgerald, owner of Lift Gym in New York. Why? It takes the body about 15 minutes to warm up and start burning fat. So, a 30-minute bike ride is really only burning fat for the last 15 minutes of your workout. But, if you lift weights first, your body is warmed up by the time you hit the bike, and you'll burn fat throughout the entire ride.
Research has shown that people who eat nut butters often weigh less than those who shun them. It's likely that the combination of protein, fat, and fiber keeps you full, so you'll eat less overall. Whole nuts are effective, too: Purdue University researchers found that people who added peanuts to their diet for 19 weeks boosted the amount of calories they burned at rest by 11 percent. Why? The unsaturated fat in peanuts and nut butters burns faster than other fats.
Make the most of your workout: Have about 100 calories at least 15 minutes before your workout (try a banana or half of an energy bar). Then have a good breakfast afterward, making sure you get protein, carbs, and fat. (Good combos: fruit and cottage cheese; toast and peanut butter; protein-rich cereal with milk.) The key is not to eat more than usual, but to redistribute more calories to the early part of the day.
It's a myth that guzzling lots of water makes you bloated. In fact, not hydrating often enough causes you to retain water underneath the skin's surface, giving you a puffy look. For the next 72 hours, cut out diuretics like caffeine and alcohol and sip six to eight glasses of H2O a day. Not only will you appear slimmer, you'll seem more toned, because your body will create a reserve of water below your muscles, pressing them out and adding definition.
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