We’re now well into spring, days are getting longer and warmer and summer is just around the corner, now is the time you’ll be wanting to be fitter, in shape and looking good for your upcoming vacation.
Problem is, we often leave it all too late and people panic they won’t look good on the beach, so plump for the extreme options trying everything they can to lose weight swiftly, but forgetting to figure what is sustainable or realistic for them. Going from sitting on the sofa all day eating crisps to exercising 6 days a week and drinking kale juices might be a little bit too much too soon. You’ll give up before you’ve even stepped on to the plane.
There are some simple rules to take on board to help you lose weight (in addition to exercise). We’ve devised these top 5 easy tips that can get you feeling fitter and healthier in time for your summer vacation.
Up your H2O
Drink more water. It’s well known that most of us don’t drink enough water, a cup here and there but nowhere near as much as we should. But it’s so important to get enough water to stay hydrated and keep yourself focused, to calculate your minimum intake take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply it by 0.67 and that’ll be your intake in fluid ounces a day, and even more in the heat.
Make sure you get enough sleep
Get enough sleep. It’s debated how much we actually need, everyone is different. But work out what’s best for you and try to get that much, consistently. Set yourself and alarm at the same time every morning and get into a routine, but don’t go running on 4 hours sleep if it doesn’t work for you! Remember some of your post-exercise gains are made when your body is resting.
Make sure you hit your micronutrients
Get your vitamins. Your body needs vitamins and minerals in order to function optimally, which can’t always be ingested through your diet easily, we recommend supplementing with a multivitamin and fish oil, in addition to a balanced diet.
Find something sustainable for your excercise
Enjoy your training. Find something you like to do and do it consistently and you’ll make much better, more sustainable results than if you don’t like what you’re doing. Even if what you enjoy isn’t ‘perfect’, if ‘perfect’ isn’t sustainable then don’t bother! Some people find working out with a partner easier to focus and achieve goals, particularly if you both have the same goal. You can push each other, discuss food tips, encourage each other to get up early on a morning to exercise and more. There are so many reasons why working out with a partner makes you more determined to succeed.
Find a ‘diet’ you can stick with in the long run.
Be smart with your nutrition. Similar to your training you want to find a nutrition programme that’s sustainable for you. Like low carb? Do that. Like keto? Do that. Like paleo? Do that. The point is no matter which route you take, as long as you are in a calorie deficit then you’ll lose body fat. Just pick something you like and can maintain for a period of time (forever) and do that!
So, there you go. Our top 5 very basic tips to a healthier summer. Are you doing these already? Need to start implementing some? Let us know if you agree or have more you’d add to our top 5?
