The season of sunshine and spaghetti straps is finally here. For many of us though, daydreams of feeling chic in shorts and carefree in a bikini are quickly dampened by the thought of actually having to wear a pair of shorts and a bikini. On one hand we long to ditch winter’s layers, on the other hand summer’s thin fabrics and short hemlines don’t leave much to the imagination. Scary stuff for those of us who spent the better part of winter on the couch in an intimate embrace with hot chocolate, milk chocolate and chocolates filled with chocolate. But don’t despair; a few tweaks can make a huge difference to your silhouette. Here are three key steps for bikini readiness:
Step away from the chocolate. And from every processed, packaged and sugar-added product at the supermarket. Be prepared for battle – if you’ve been a slave to your cravings for a while then denying yourself is going to be tough. Your head will scream for chips and your stomach will threaten to go on strike if you don’t feed it a caramel Swiss roll, but this is not the time to listen to your gut. It’s time to show your stomach who’s boss and practice some self-control. The first few days will feel like torture but you’ll get used to saying “no,” and within a fortnight it will be much easier. You’ll be glad you took a hard line when you don’t have to hide behind your beach towel come holiday time.
Eat plenty of fresh, whole foods. These are filled with vitamins and minerals that support immunity, give your skin a healthy glow and reduce food cravings. Vegetables in particular are your best friends right now. Fill up on lightly steamed vegetables served with a large salad for your main meal of the day. Include plenty of raw veg in the salad and avoid salad dressing. Add a palm-sized portion of lean protein and some fat from avocado and raw seeds for satiety. Flavour your food with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Keep your other meals light, including a small portion of protein, carbohydrate and fat at each meal.
Walk it off. Brisk walking does wonders for your body, from lowering your risk of disease to strengthening your muscles and bones. Plus, it’s excellent for shedding a few kilos. Start with a manageable goal, for example, commit to walking briskly for 25 minutes a day, three days a week. Add a hill or two to the route the following week to increase the level of intensity. Thereafter increase the frequency of your workouts to four days a week. Mix it up to keep things interesting – try a different route or run for part of the journey. Bursts of sprints are the most effective way of upping the ante and promoting rapid weight loss. Keep it up and you’ll shift your winter weight before you can say, “For the love of kale, I’ve lost another kilo!”
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7 Responses
I must say i was ready for summer last year, but this year i have had no energy, I really need to push myself hard to get up in the morning to go for a run. Just need to loose 5kgs and then I’ll be happy in my own skin.
I believe all you need to lose weight is healthy eating, keeping fit and most importantly stay away from bread!
There are so many “quick fixes’ and lose weight fast recipes out there. so many products and such….. i for one have tried it all. But i realised i can do without them and save my money. watching what i eat and putting some time at the gym is working…. im a fitness junkie in the making.
Losing weight is a daunting task. Whether you have 5 or 50 extra kilos. The most sustainable weight loss is a gradual one based on sustainable changes that you can live with. I do not subscribe to punishing yourself. In the end you are alone and no amount of advise can make you do anything. Do not put stumbling blocks in your way. Denying yourself the things you love is not going to help you reach your goals in the long term. Do not yoyo because you have an important event coming up. Time will pass regardless. Make changes that you can live with and do them consistently. The biggest stumbling block to weight loss is oneself. It is a minute to minute, hour to hour and day to day choice. I now weigh 50 kgs and at some point in my life I weighed 85kgs. The weight took a toll on my body and mind and I had to have a very frank talk to myself as to how I got there and to commit to getting back to my 50 self. I realised that I had become bigger by being dishonest with myself about my diet. Being honest about overheating was not easy. I am not a health nut- I probably never will be but making a few very simple changes and some real effort got me back to my old self. Exercise is great for health but it is not going to burn the amount of fat needed for massive weigh loss. Exercise will help-particularly with massive weight loss as it contours the muscles and skin. Ditch the scale and judge yourself based on your own perception. Use your clothes as an indicator for weight loss or weight gain. How you look and feel is a much more reliable measure than what the scale says. Realise that change will take a few months. Be patient. Think and act long-term. Do not punish your body. You may just be creating more of an imbalance by doing so. Sync your body and mind. See it, believe it and then find out what you need to do and not do to get where you want to be.
thanks so much for this realistic encouragement, i need to have a serious sit down with myself & just do what i know needs to be done.
If only I was commited enough to stay fit
Hear, hear and in no-time we hit the beach, can’t wait :)