Summer is right around the corner and it is time to get your body right! No more going to the empty side of the beach in hopes you don’t see any one you know, or even worse, wearing a full length dress in 90 degree weather! It’s time to shed some pounds and show some skin!
1. Change your diet.
There is no bigger wardrobe malfunction then having a gut! Being in shape can make a twenty dollar outfit look like a million bucks! Abs are made in the kitchen ladies! No matter how much you are working out, if your summer diet is filled with nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers and margaritas, you are going to gain some weight. Instead of going for the quickie diets, that cause weight to comeback twice as fast, once eating habits go back to normal, try incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet and less junk food. Want nachos? Get chips and guacamole instead of loaded nachos. Want a hamburger? Opt for a veggie burger instead. The key is long lasting results, not the short term satisfaction that comes from eating a brownie. Of course you don’t have to completely deprive yourself of the foods you love, just eat them in moderation and eat more of the foods your body needs such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and of course plenty of water.
2. Move those buns!
If you are like me you aren’t in the gym every single day and don’t want to be. That is perfectly fine. There are plenty of ways to lose weight and burn calories without spending hours in the gym. If you hate working out at the gym you probably won’t stay motivated to keep going, opt for an exercise you like instead. If you like dancing then take up a dance class or dedicate time in your home to simply dance throughout the day! If you are an outdoorsy person, try hiking, biking, even swimming. Video games even have exercise games now, if you don’t have much time during the day to exercise try waking up ten minutes early to exercise or staying up a little later then normal, your body will thank you.As long as you are burning calories on a daily basis through exercise you are on your way to a healthier more fit body!
3. Affirm yourself.
You must truly believe that you are capable of losing excess weight and being fit for you to achieve it. If you are constantly down on yourself or believe that you won’t be able to achieve your weight loss goals, you are more likely to quit. Post pictures of where you want to be around your house. Create a vision board filled with pictures of the body you want, as well as positive words about yourself. Find a friend who is trying to get in shape as well and motivate each other to stay committed. Praise yourself for every pound lost, every donut you turned down for a banana and every jean size you go down, it will make the experience much more self gratifying, and you will enjoy the process much more as well.
4. Enjoy the process.
It didn’t take you one week to get a belly and it’s not going to take you one week to lose it. Stay patient. The only losers are the ones that quit. Say you set a goal to lose ten pounds by a certain time and instead lost six. Are you going to go gorge yourself because you did not lose the full ten pounds or are you going to keep working to lose it? Keep sight of your goal. If you allow yourself to become depressed because you did not lose the amount you wanted to in the time you set for yourself, you probably wont work harder. Instead praise yourself for the weight or inches you lost and keep working towards your goal. Reevaluate anything you might have fallen short on and work on not repeating any mistakes. Enjoying the process allows for a much sweeter end result.
5. Treat yourself to a new bikini!
If there is one thing that working hard and eating healthy deserves, it is a new wardrobe, or at least a new bikini! If you have been working out frequently and eating healthy, there is no reason why you should not be able to rock a brand new bikini to the beach. Try on bikinis at your favorite shops and see which styles work best for you and your shape. Bring a positive yet honest friend along if you desire a second opinion.If you still are not 100% comfortable in a bikini there are plenty of sexy one pieces available as well!
How will you be getting fit this summer?
Ashley Renee is a licensed esthetician, Mac makeup artist, natural hair enthusiast, writer and poet from Chicago, follow her on Instagram @ashleyreneepoet!