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Dr. Ian Smith, author of ‘Shred,’ Shares His Top 5 Weight Loss Tips

January 25, 2013 at 8:10 am , by Kristen Kemp

When Dr. Ian Smith offered to write a guest post for me, I wisely let him go right ahead. I blogged about his popular bookSHRED recently. His no-fuss, fool-proof, get-healthy, diet-and-exercise plan is sitting pretty in its third week as a New York Times#1 Best Seller.

So here you go. Dr. Ian Smith shares hisTop 5 Weight Loss Tips (check out #5, it’s my favorite):

1. Hydration
Keeping hydrated can help you consume less calories – simple as that. Just keep reminding yourself that drinking a glass of water will make your stomach feel fuller which will help suppress hunger and appetite. Make sure you drink one full glass of water before drinking your meal. Try squeezing a lemon in there and that can help suppress the appetite.

2. Strategic Snacking
Remember that snacks are bridges between meals, they are not full meals. It is best to try to keep your snacks to 150 calories or less and this will help you from consuming too many calories when you sit down for your regular meal. You can find a list of more than 200 snacks in the back of theSHRED diet book.

3. Fiber
This is a secret weapon in weight loss, and Americans don’t eat anywhere near enough, approximately 30% less than what’s recommended. Most people should be consuming between 25-30 grams per day. The best sources are beans, whole grains, brown rice, crunchy vegetables, berries, and bran cereal.

4. Detox
We have all been hearing a lot lately about detox. I do believe that cleansing can be an important part of losing weight. SHRED has a week of detox but it is a healthy detox, done by eating the right foods. Detoxing your body means activating enzymes in your liver that helps purify your blood. Increasing your fiber can also help with a physical cleanse. A 7-day cleanse just twice a year can make a world of difference. Remember, a cleanse and a fast are different. A fast eliminates entire nutritional categories whereas a healthy detox means eating natural foods that do the work.

5. Calorie Ups and Downs – Roller Coaster
If you mix up your calories, your body responds better in its weight loss efforts. Eating the same level of calories all the time leads to weight loss plateaus that can become frustrating and can discourage a dieter. On the SHRED Diet, I purposely moved the amounts of calories up and down all the time. And, the best part is, you don’t even know it.

For more free tips, follow me on Twitter: @doctoriansmith.