How To Get In Shape For The Summer

Let’s get ready for the summer, shall we? However, this time let’s take a new route and form a foolproof-strategy to get a grip on the health and fitness, once and for all, and not just for one summer!

Below are some easy tricks to incorporate in your daily routine:

Drink Water
Hydration is most important for overall health and weight loss. Often the brain get confused between thirst and hunger and we often end up eating when we were actually dehydrated. We would suggest you set 8 small bottles of water daily and make it a mission to drink them in two hour intervals.

Stay in workout clothes
This might not work for everyone, as we understand you have to go to work, school, get on with your day. But if it is possible then try staying in your workout clothes for your meals. When you dine in the form fitting gear you are more aware of your the quantity you consume and also it discourages you to overeat. [ Related : Creative Ways To Workout At Home ]

Think Before You Eat
You should have 5-6 small meals in a day, in every two to three hours. So whenever you are hungry ask yourself, “When did I eat my last meal?” - “How hungry am I?” When you mindfully feed your hunger you would never emotionally eat or confuse boredom or thirst for being hungry.

Start With A Soup
Make soup part of your meals. They fill you up fast and are rich in fiber which keeps your full longer. Avoid cream based soups and you would being making healthy choices everyday.

Make ‘Moderation’ your mantra
Staying in shape, doesn’t mean dieting. It means mindful living. Eat raw foods. Eat organic foods. Eliminate packaged meals. Cook as much as you can. You will be able to eat everything if you eat in moderation. Pick a cheat day and stick with it.

Invest in a Step Tracker
If you are a newbie and need a little accountability for your actions invest in a step tracker or a fitness band. It calculates your activity, calories consumed versus calories burned, heart rate during exercises and more. There are many in the market such as jawbone, fitbit etc. It helps you have realistic goals and lets you assess your daily activity level. [ Related: Workout Motivation List ]

Keep Your Body Guessing
Try different workouts. Take classes. Switch between cardio and strength training. Each form of exercise/activity challenges your body in a different way keeping it continuously guessing and burn calories more efficiently and resulting in weight loss. [ Related : How To Make Active Living Work ]

Distract. Get Active
Now that you are eating healthy yet moderately, along with rigorous workouts, you would get hungry more often and would want to eat larger quantities. You have to train your brain to stop focusing on food. It would take time and practice. The best way to avoid overeating would be to distract yourself with activities, work, being outdoors. It takes 12 weeks to form a habit and then it becomes your lifestyle. Hang in there!

Lastly, Work Hard. Play Harder.
Don’t forget to reward yourself. You have worked hard all week, you deserve some downtime. Enjoy your treat. Guilt is the biggest enemy of weight loss.

Hope you would find these strategies helpful. If you have a tip you would like to add to the list, do let me know in the comments below.