Summer’s coming, we can no longer hide behind our sweaters, for the past few weeks you’ve been receiving catalogs and emails with bathing suits on the cover. Each time you look at the cover you shutter thinking I’m not ready!
Each morning you get out of the shower and glance at yourself in the mirror and think is this the year I dust off my bikini’ Maybe if I close my eyes and click my heels together 3 times, I’ll look like a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. Sorry, ladies, I tried this and it doesn’t work, when you finally open your eyes, you’re still you. To get a bikini body, it takes time. The good news is if you start now, you will be well on your way to a great body by the time beach season arrives. Here are some tips that will help get and keep a bikini body.
Instead of rushing out and buying your dream bathing suit, tape a picture of it on your bathroom mirror and/or refrigerator to help keep you motivated to eat healthier and to get moving. Face it, bathing suit shopping is stressful and can be de-motivating, wait until you feel good about yourself and your hard work before you hit the stores. Who knows maybe by then it will be on sale!
Achieving your new summer body isn’t about starvation. It’s about making healthy choices. I love and live by the 80/20 rule. If 80% of ALL your meals are compiled of healthy choices, you are eating every few hours, and exercising then you can have a few pleasures to keep you from going off the dead end.
Drink your water. It helps cleanse your body of harmful toxins and by not taking in enough water, it can cause cellulite to appear more dramatic and making it harder to lose weight. Water is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle and keeps your body working in proper order.
I know it doesn’t make sense but when you eat frequently you will increase your metabolism. When deciding what to add to your new eating plan, consider adding more fruits, vegetables, lean meat, fish and dairy. You’ll want to avoid highly processed foods that remove many of the nutrients your body needs.
Don’t believe the hype! The information on the front of the foods may be misleading, make sure that you read the back of the box, and read the ingredients. If it has more than 5 ingredients or you need a PhD in biology to understand what’s inside, leave it on the shelf. Limit the sweets/junkfood. These food contain empty calories while will only add on the pounds sabotaging your efforts to lose weight and get bathing suit ready. If you must have something sweet, try having some fruit. Craving salt’ Try reaching for a pickle. Need more grocery shopping tips, just click here.
Want to lose belly fat’ Get some sleep. The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep, how much are you getting’ Without proper rest, the body can’t repair itself and when your body lacks sleep you more likely to reach for junk food to give you a quick rush of energy.
Keep your stress levels in check. Increased stress levels can lead to increased levels of cortisol in your system. This hormone is your enemy if you want to lose belly fat and increase muscle. When we have too much of this hormone in our blood stream it causes or body to store fat around belly, decrease muscle building and reduce our immune system.
Remember there are no quick fixes to weight loss. Cher once said, “If the perfect body came in a bottle everyone would have one.” To get bikini ready, start by choosing a healthy lifestyle that includes good food choices, exercise and a good night sleep.
Do you have any other tips you’d like to share on how to get bikini ready, just leave them in the comment box.
