From Fitness trainer, Lori Forrester.
Oh no! Are you kidding? Has swimsuit season reared its ugly head? Did spring break sort of sneak up on you? If so, you are probably like me, and tried on your bathing suit this week, only to think, “I wish I had another month”. This happens to all of us. The winter months make it difficult to workout as hard, hot coffee and a warm donuts make their way into our diets a little too often, and we are all covered up so we may not notice a few extra pounds that have crept up on us. But now what? Don’t panic and view it as a lost cause. Step away from the cookies and let’s get to work!
While we may not be able to create the rock’n bikini body in under a week, there are a few things you can do if you have an event coming up in say 4 -6 weeks. Reunion, beach trip, or even just getting ready for the boating season? Here are a few tips.
- Cut out all junk (obviously). By junk I mean processed foods. If it’s in your pantry in a box or tear open bag, toss it! Only eat real food that goes bad. This means you’re at the grocery store at least twice a week. Get used to it because it’s the only way. Lean meats and vegetables should be your staples. All carbohydrates should come from vegetables such as greens, spaghetti or butternut squash, sweet potatoes, quinoa or brown rice. Watch you portion sizes because even healthy food adds up fast when you’re trying to lean out.
- Drink water likes it’s a full-time job! The more water you drink the more you are flushing toxins out of your body. Drinking more water will actually help you drop water weight, not to mention it does amazing things for your skin and fills you up throughout the day. I shoot for 1 gallon a day.
- Cut out ALL sugar, including excess fruit (no more than 2 servings a day) and anything white. This means white potatoes and breads. No diet foods either like diet soda or anything that says “fat free”. That’s in the junk category.
- No alcohol! I’m not saying forever. Don’t panic! Remember what your goal is. Don’t get caught up in the all or nothing thinking. You can do anything for a few weeks. Beer, wine, and mixed sugary cocktails will kill your efforts in the gym and ruin your perfectly clean diet. Actually drinking makes you forget what you are trying to accomplish. Just cut it out and be the DD. May not be as much fun but you’ll look great when you finally get to your event. Then you can splurge but try to keep your drinks as clean as possible.
- Up your cardio! Do more cardiovascular exercise than normal. High intensity intervals burn a ton of calories. This paired with a gab session, hill walk with your home girls and some heavy weight training will get that booty in shape fast. Just look up some HIIT routines on Pinterest or my own personal favorite Bodyrocktv.com!
Hope these tips help you feel better about swimsuit season!
Scoop Tip: Visit Scoop Approved Southeast Swimwear in Woodstock for great customer service and selection.