weight loss

This Summer, make swimsuit season even hotter with the addition of spice. It's true; spices curb your appetite, leading to a hotter you — no pun intended. According to Kate Geagan, MS, RD, author of Go Green, Get Lean, herbs and spices can play tricks on your sweet tooth. Adding a spicy combo to your meals expands your palette without extra calories. It may also decrease the amount of salt, fat, and sugar you use, keeping you satisfied without sacrificing flavor.

Take red chili peppers for example, research has found that sprinkling them on meals curbs your appetite because capsaicin — the heat factor — not only reduces hunger, it increases energy levels too. Try adding a spice rub to your meal's protein or a dash of cinnamon in your next cup of coffee. Because cravings are so overrated . . .

While the concept of burning fat might feel elusive, reaching your goals might be easier than you think. Boosting your metabolism plays an essential role in the process, and these techniques are all specifically linked to burning fat. Take these four tips to heart to see big results.

Go for the big burn: When it comes to the workout that truly blasts the most fat, Len Kravitz, Ph.D., puts it simply: "to burn more fat, burn more calories." Your lengthy leisurely walk or restorative yoga class is a great start, but they're not necessarily going to help you take off weight. If you're not sure where to start, then check out these exercises that burn the most calories in 15 minutes to have an idea of what you should be looking for when choosing a new workout.

Drink green tea: Green tea does more than calm you down and prevent sickness. According to a study from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking tea may have fat-fighting effects. The combination of green tea's high content of caffeine and catechins stops the body from absorbing carbohydrates and helps burn more fat. Drink it with meals, enjoy it before a workout, and basically do whatever you can to take teatime regularly.

Keep reading for two more ways you can burn more fat.

We know you're spending plenty of time getting your body bikini ready with healthy food and fun workouts. While taking note of these tips to make bathing suit shopping easier is a great start, being equipped with as many tools as possible will help you feel confident before running around on the beach. In case you're concerned about unnecessary extra bloat before you rock your bikini, here are six foods to avoid right before you hit the beach.

Carbonated drinks: While you've hopefully taken the initiative to say goodbye to soda for good, sparkling water can be a decent substitute if you can't get enough of those bubbles. With that said, it's best to avoid any carbonated drinks before you hit the beach to steer clear of unnecessary belly bulge or gas.

Salt: Supersalty foods or added salt don't necessarily make you gassy, but they definitely make you retain water. Even though those cantina chips and salsa may seem like the ideal prebeach grub, opt for something with lower levels of sodium to help you feel your best before you head to the ocean.

Cruciferous veggies: They're great foods for long-term weight loss, but if there's one time not to chow down on a heaping helping of broccoli, cabbage, or kale, it's right before you hit the beach! These veggies contain a complex sugar called raffinose that's known to cause some lovely bloat.

Keep reading for three more foods to avoid before the beach.

In the beginning of a weight-loss journey, pounds melt away like ice on a hot Summer's day. But as you get closer to your goal, it's not unusual to hit a plateau. Here's how to keep those pounds dropping and keep the weight off for good.

• Beef up your workouts: If you've been steadily working out and following the same routine, your body has probably grown accustomed to the routine. Rattle your body's chain a little and kick up the intensity of your workouts to further challenge your muscles. Work out longer or harder, increase the size weights you're lifting, do more reps of strength-training moves and vary the order, or try doing two workouts in one day.
• Go for fiber: Since your metabolism is already working pretty efficiently, eat fibrous foods that take longer to digest, so your body has to expend more energy to break them down. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and legumes are where it's at, but focus on these foods with the highest amounts of fiber.
• Include these foods: Imbalances in your digestive tract have been linked to weight gain, so to restore the balance of bacteria in your gut, eat nonfat yogurt for the probiotics. Lack of calcium as well as vitamin D can also make it harder to lose weight, so be sure to eat dairy products and these calcium-rich fruits and veggies, as well as these foods high in vitamin D. Omega-3s are also vital for a healthy metabolism, so include fish, eggs, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds in your diet too.
• Get your z's: Not getting adequate sleep (at least six hours) can also decrease leptin, the hormone that makes you feel satiated, while it increases ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Research shows that feeling sluggish the following day causes you to eat an average of 549 extra calories without even realizing it. Lack of sleep also slows down your metabolism, making you burn 20 percent fewer calories a day.
• Cut out the cocktails: Boozy beverages not only offer your body empty calories, but since your body is working so hard to get rid of toxins, they also inhibit the production of glucose, which is needed for maintaining normal blood sugar levels and in turn slows down your metabolism. Not to mention, getting a little tipsy also clouds your judgment so you're more likely to say yes to another cosmo and a slice of cheesecake to go with it. Go for water or metabolism-boosting green tea instead.

Stop hating the scale and beating yourself up! Stave off potentially permanent weight gain with these expert tips from Shape Magazine!

Although you know a number is just a number, it's hard not to worry when you see the scale jump a pound or two overnight or‚ worse, during the same day. But take a deep breath: most weight fluctuations are normal.

Since most of us can't eat enough in a day or two to actually gain five or 10 pounds, if you notice a dramatic increase on the scale, chances are it's due to water, says Anita Petruzzelli, MD, doctor for BodyLogicMD.

"Eating, drinking, urinating, having a bowel movement, and exercise can all impact your body's water composition and therefore weight," she says. For example, high-carb and high-salt foods can cause water retention and a boost in poundage, while exercise can lead to temporary water and weight loss.

So don't get too excited‚ or freaked‚ if you weigh yourself after a meal or workout. "Weight gain due to water fluctuation should normalize in a day or two when you resume exercising and eating a healthy diet that's low in salt, refined carbs, and simple sugars," Petruzzelli says.

However, if those extra pounds keep showing up on the scale after you've returned to your regular routine for about a week, it may be time to make some adjustments to your lifestyle. Five is the magic number, according to Joseph Colella, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Magee Women's Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Most people can recover five pounds rather quickly with minor tweaks to their calorie intake and physical activity.

And if the scale shows a seven-pound jump for longer than a day or two, more aggressive measures may be called for, such as eliminating alcohol. "Alcohol stimulates your appetite and wrecks your self-control regarding the amount of food that you consume," Colella explains.

Learn the best way to weigh yourself after the break!

If Friday night means heading to the nearest pub for a beer and a burger, you probably don't want to know that your simple order of a burger and fries can run you over 1,400 calories. That's a day's worth of calories in one meal, not even counting the added calories of a beer or dessert. You don't have to give up on your burger entirely — just follow these calorie-saving tips.

Make it a veggie patty (100) instead of beef (306):
Calories saved: 206

If going veggie doesn't do it for you, eat half the beef patty instead of the whole (306):
Calories saved: 153

Skip the cheese:
Calories saved: about 100 per slice

Can't enjoy your burger without cheese? Add a slice of provolone (98) instead of cheddar (113):
Calories saved: 15

Side salad with dressing (140) instead of fries (395) with ketchup (20):
Calories saved: 275 calories

Only eat half the bun instead of the whole (160):
Calories saved: 80

Two tomato slices (7) and mustard (5) instead of ketchup (20) and mayo (90):
Calories saved: 98

Sweet and creamy ice cream pints fly off the shelves in the Summer months, and while Ben & Jerry's is a popular brand, you might like the more basic yet scrumptious Häagen-Dazs flavors. Below shows what 100 calories of raspberry sorbet looks like, but chances are one little scoop just won't be enough. Check out the chart below to see how many calories are in your favorite flavors of ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt, so you can arm yourself before polishing off an entire pint.

Don't see your favorite flavor? Keep reading to find out the calorie amounts of other ice cream flavors as well as gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt.