This is for all of those who fight the battle of hormonally related weight gain.

1. Eat 20% less on your plate. OR and vacations do not count!
2. Interval train your heart rate: That is, walk faster than you think you can for one minute, then walk a nice pace for the next minute. Repeat for 20-30 minutes. The longer the better and push yourself! “Tricking” and training your heart this way really makes a difference.
3. There is something called the 20 minute satiety index. Do you know that after 20 minutes—no matter what you have eaten, your brain will register you are full? Try it! Be mindful.
4. Try to put your fork or spoon down between bites. It takes up some of that valuable time and makes eating a bit more pleasurable.
5. Grazing is Good. Consider a yogurt at 6:00 a.m., a piece of cheese with a piece of fruit at 8:00 a.m., then a handful of nuts at 11:00 a.m., then a salad with protein on top at 1:00 p.m. etc.? It keeps your glucose blood levels more even and therefore, you’re less prone to hunger pangs.
6. Do specific stomach and back exercises. In my book is “The Series of Five”—a series of five abdominal exercises that can get you an amazingly strong, whittled waistline within 3 minutes. Working the back is more important than the front! It keeps your posture upright and that can create an illusion of being taller and thinner! Right now, sit for a moment with your back upright and your shoulders back…take a big inhale… doesn’t that feel better!? Just Do It!
7. Lastly, as often as possible pull your navel into your spine. AND do Kegal’s! It pulls up the pelvic floor muscles, contracts the transverse abdominus and pulls that pooch in!