Summer is fast approaching which leaves many of us frantically trying to get into shape for your next beach holiday. Although it is not recommended many of us leave dieting and training to the last minute to get into shape, here are my top 10 tips for achieving your beach body this summer.
There are a huge array of tips and techniques out there to help you get the most out of your workout but this is something different... Here I will walk you through tips for changes in lifestyle! Let's get to it.
Top 10 Tips
- Remove Excess Calories From Your Diet
It’s 8:30am – You grab your first cup of coffee of the day.
‘1 Latte with a vanilla shot’ -
You have another beverage with a sugar a couple of hours later and then again for a mid-afternoon ‘pick me up’. Have you thought about the calories you’ve consumed? 1 full fat latte with vanilla or sugar shot is anything between 200-250 calories. Each level tsp. of sugar contains on average 16 calories so 48-64 calories per day.
To get out of this routine, replace the sugar with natural sugar alternative,
Xylitol, which contains only 2.4 calories per serving. This is great if you are looking to avoid too much sugar or artificial chemical sweeteners, it is also used by diabetics to help control their blood sugar level.
- HIIT for 20 Minutes 3 Times a Week
We all complain that we do not have enough time to exercise. It is proven that a 20 minute High Intensity Interval Training – ‘HIIT’ workout completed 3 times a week alongside a balanced diet will help you burn fat just as efficiently as moderate cardiovascular workouts (i.e aerobic classes etc).
Another bonus is that it can be performed ANYWHERE. Simply complete a group of 3-4 exercises for 45-60 seconds without any rest, repeat this cycle 4 times then take a 60-120 seconds breather. Move onto a new set of 3-4 exercises, repeat the cycle and your 20 minutes will be completed, simple!
By increasing your protein intake, your metabolic rate will increase. It will also help to maintain and develop muscle mass which helps with burning fat. Your body burns more calories digesting protein then it does carbohydrates. With this thermic effect it means that on average 25-30 out of every 100 calories from protein get burned in the process of digesting it. Having fresh
lean meats is a great way to get that extra protein in your diet.
- Commit to Small Daily Changes
This is the reason why people start a diet every Monday, they do not commit to small daily changes. Be it passing up on a biscuit or replacing snacks with a healthy snack alternative. Before you know it you will have transformed your lifestyle and your beach body with that.
Probably everybody’s favourite past time. You need 5-8 hours of sleep a day period. Believe it or not, if your diet is on-point and you are training consistently, this is the area you will need to assess. Sleeping allows your body to repair, to grow and to reset your hunger and stress hormones to help you burn fat.
Ok – You can’t make it to the gym and you can’t fit in a quick home workout. So what can you do?
Stay active daily, park your car down the road and walk into work. If you are sat in an office all day, stand up during calls and walk around, even if it’s just a few steps back and forward during a 30 minutes phone call – it all adds up. At the end of your day, walk back to your car instead of catching a lift. This will aid your fat loss and keep your body and mind active.
- A Big one for me… Drink More Water
The amount of clients I have who do not drink any water and simply drink tea/coffee and carbonated drinks daily astonishes me. Drinking water increases our energy, promotes weight loss! The more you put in the more you flush out - water flushes out toxins and will ultimately save you money by refilling your trusty
water bottle. You can drop 2-3 lbs in your first week of dieting by consistently drinking more water.
Start by drinking the RDA which is 8 glasses (around 2 litres) and gradually increase the amount you take in over the coming months, I would not exceed 4-6 litres of water a day depending on your body mass and fitness goals.
- Reduce your Calories Gradually
Do not just cut carbs or cut fat out, you need to eat a balanced diet of at least 3 meals a day consisting of fats, carbs and protein. If you reduce your calories dramatically it puts your body into starvation mode which reduces your metabolism making it harder to burn fat, eat more good foods to burn more fat. To prevent this from happening gradually reduce your calories week by week.
Should I eat fat, should I not eat fat.. eating fat will make me fat, WRONG. Eating healthy fats will make you fit. Adults should get 20-35% of their daily calories from fat. Fats to eat more of are Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and are in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, avocados, canola oil and fish. This area encompasses omega-3 and omega-6. Limit your saturated fat intake to no more than 10% of your daily calories. Other fat burning fat foods are whole eggs, cheese,. Coconut oil and Greek yoghurt.
Myth – Weights will make men and women bulky.
Fact – The more muscle your body has the more calories you burn each day.
Fact – Weight training increases the calories you burn at rest for up to 39 hours after you workout.
Fact – If you train with weights you will have a better chance of any weight loss from being muscle. This will prevent you from turning into a skinny-fat person, yes even somebody extremely slim can hold a high body fat percentage.
Fact – Weight training will build that bikini booty, cardio alone will not.
Conclusion
If you implement the sections of this blog into your day to day life you will be burning fat, adding lean muscle and be beach body ready in no time.
