The Sugar Smart Diet: Stop Cravings and Lose Weight While Still Enjoying the Sweets You Love (41 page)

Inhale and raise your arms out to the sides, palms up, and circle them overhead. Exhale and lower them back to your sides. Repeat Arm Circles 4 more times, but don’t lower your arms on the final time through. Instead move into Forward Bend.

Exhale and reach your arms out in front of you, palms down, as you bend forward from your hips, keeping your back flat and chest lifted as you lower until you’re about parallel to the floor. Then round your back and place your hands on your thighs, shins, feet, or floor—whatever is most comfortable
[A]
. Bend your knees slightly if you feel any strain. Inhale as you flatten your back and lift your head and chest up to look forward
[B]
. Exhale and round your back to look at your legs. Inhale to stand up, circling your arms out to the sides and overhead, and then down to your sides.

Repeat Arm Circles and Forward Bend together 4 more times, but don’t stand up on the final time through. Instead move into Plank.

Inhale and bend your knees and place your hands on the floor alongside your feet. Step your feet back one at a time and balance on your hands, your toes, and the balls of your feet. Your hands should be directly beneath your shoulders. Your heels, ankles, butt, spine, shoulders, neck, and head should all be in line.

Exhale and bend your elbows back, keeping your arms close to your body, and slowly lower yourself to the floor, like you’re doing a pushup
[A]
. With your toes pointed and palms on the floor in front of your shoulders, inhale and gently lift your upper body off the floor as far as comfortably possible, opening up your chest and pressing the tops of your feet into the floor
[B]
. Use your back muscles, not your hands, to lift.

As you exhale, flip your feet so you’re on your toes and the balls of your feet. Lift your hips toward the ceiling and press back into an inverted V position. Hold for 5 breaths. On your next breath, walk your feet toward your hands, moving into a Forward Bend. Inhale and flatten your back, lifting your head and chest up as you look forward. Exhale and round your back, looking at your legs. Inhale to stand up, circling your arms out to the sides and overhead, and then down to your sides into Mountain pose.

Repeat the poses from Mountain through Downward-Facing Dog 4 more times (but without the repeats above). Remain in Downward-Facing Dog on the final time through. Then move into Crescent Lunge.

Inhale and lift your left leg behind you. As you exhale, swing it forward, stepping your left foot in between your hands. Inhale and bend your left knee, keeping it directly over your ankle, and raise your arms overhead. Toes point forward and your right heel is lifted off the floor.

Exhale and lower your arms, turning your body toward the right, lowering your right heel, and angling your right toes toward the back right corner of the mat. Reach your arms out to the sides from your fingertips, looking toward your left hand.

As you exhale, circle your right arm, placing your right hand on your right leg, and raise your left arm overhead, looking toward your left hand. Circle both hands down onto the floor on either side of your left foot. Step your left foot back into Plank pose.

Repeat the poses from Plank (without the repeats), but lift your right leg when you are in Downward-Facing Dog in order to perform Crescent Lunge on the opposite side. Then from Plank, do Upward- and Downward-Facing Dogs again, return to the Forward Bend, and finish in Mountain pose, breathing deeply for at least a minute.

Sit cross-legged with your hands out to your sides and your fingertips lightly touching the floor. Inhale and raise your arms overhead. As you exhale, twist to the left and lower your arms so the right one is in front of you (in the 12 o’clock position, if you were sitting on a clock) and the left one slightly behind you (in the 7 to 8 o’clock position)
[A]
. Repeat twisting to the opposite side. Do 20 total, alternating sides. Face forward and recross your legs so the opposite one is in front. Reach your left arm up overhead and bend to the right as you inhale
[B]
, then return to start position as you exhale. Repeat to the opposite side. Do 20 total, alternating sides. Walk your hands out in front of you and fold over your legs as far as comfortable
[C]
. Hold for 8 deep breaths. Walk your hands back in and sit up. Then recross your legs and repeat.

Shift forward so you are on all fours with your hands beneath your shoulders, your knees beneath your hips, and your head in line with your spine. Inhale and lift your chest and tailbone toward the ceiling to arch your back
[A]
. Exhale and round your back, tucking your tailbone and dropping your chin toward your chest
[B]
. As you inhale, sit back onto your heels, stretching your hips back and your arms forward
[C]
. Come back up to the start position as you exhale. Do 10 times. Next, raise your right arm straight up to the ceiling, looking at your hand. Then sweep your arm down under your body and behind your left arm so your head and shoulder rest on the mat
[D]
. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Come back up and repeat with your left arm.