Summer is, by definition, the time of bathing suits, poolside parties, and prolonged vacations by the sea. Nevertheless, for many of us, the prospect of resorting to a drastic diet and extensive exercising sessions in order to achieve a bikini-worthy figure is more than daunting. But picture this: what if you could actually use summer to your advantage is this quest for a slimmer, more attractive, and ultimately beach-bound body? As many nutritionists agree upon, the warmer seasons are usually more propitious in terms of effective weight loss and general toning. So here is how to get a swimsuit body in 12 quick steps by having summer “work” in your favor:
- Enjoy the view more – if you’re lucky enough to already be on vacation, then make sure you ‘exploit’ this environment for all that it’s got when it comes to proper eating, relaxing, and even squeezing in a few more rounds of training. The good thing about escaping your day-to-day stressful routine is that you can literally start all over by developing new, healthier, and ultimately more long-lasting habits to positively influence both your waistline and your lifestyle. Getting out of the city means recharging your mental and physical batteries in such a way so as to bring this freshly acquired perspective back to your normal living regime. So use this time to drink more water, munch mostly on veggies and fruit, clear your mind of all troubles, unwind under the sun or, on the contrary, engage in exciting activities to get your metabolism burning fat faster (like water sports, mountain climbing, etc.).
- Get a hearty breakfast – do you want to have fun in the sun and simultaneously lose weight? Then never skip breakfast ever again – after all, it’s the most important meal of the day. But, instead of going for your usual choice of morning foods like scrambled eggs, oatmeal or muesli cereal, why not switch it up to a more summer appropriate smoothie instead? Not only will this refresh your energy and stabilize your glycemic levels for longer, but it’s also ideal for obtaining that feeling of satiety without too many calories being involved. One recipe for a ‘hearty’ and a delicious smoothie would be to blend together a cup and a half of coconut meat, a ripe mango, one tablespoon of turmeric, two tablespoons of chia seeds, some fresh lime juice, and a few ice cubes. As a result, you’ll end up with a coconut and mango breakfast alternative to simultaneously act as a nutrient booster, hunger suppressor, and taste bud satisfier.
- Sip on tea instead of coffee – regardless of whether you’re an avid coffee lover or not, you should know that this drink isn’t quite suitable for your figure-maintenance endeavors in the summer. Why? Well, because coffee is a more wintery drink, with so many options of sugar, cream, and toppings substantially elevating that overall caloric count with each new cup (I’m looking at you, Starbucks!). So why not switch to tea instead? Full of antioxidants, natural metabolic boosters, and intense flavors, the wide variety of tea selections available nowadays can literally cater to any taste. And don’t argue that you need coffee to wake up in the morning – ever tried with green tea or Earl Grey? If so, then you know that such teas can increase your alertness and focus abilities, yet not be followed by the same energetic ‘crash’ as their java counterpart. The best way to have it would be plain, but you could add a dash of natural sweeteners such as honey or agave nectar for that extra kick of taste. Drink a few cups a day and you’ll stay both hydrated and keep your figure swimwear ready all throughout the summer.
- Walk more – if you’ve started feeling the pressure of getting a beach-worthy figure, then don’t overdo it at the gym in a short amount of time. By pushing too much, you can end up hurting yourself and really put a stop to all your fat-shedding endeavors from the very beginning. Instead, try to increase both your walking range and time on a regular basis, since this sort of leisurely exercising can be extremely beneficial for your health in general. In fact, walking half an hour or more after dinner will not only help burn those few extra calories you’ve indulged in, but it will also help you regulate your sleeping patterns and improve your general mood.
- Exercise whenever you can – ditch the stuffy or overcrowded gyms and use the summer weather to create your very own exercising routines at the beach, in the park or in whatever outdoors environment you can work out in your own rhythm. From jumping rope and jogging by the seashore to playing volleyball or basketball with your friends, being outside offers endless possibilities for efficient training and acquiring that bikini-body more easily than you could have imagined before. Let’s say you’ve come across a bench – you could thus use it to do presses, crunches, and lunges alike, with 10-15 repetitions of each exercise ensuring your metabolic rates are highly accelerated and your ‘feel good’ hormones (like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin) are kicked up a notch as well. Being resourceful in such situations can also stimulate your workout creativity and keep you from becoming bored with your otherwise regular routines.
- Choose raw dishes – why spend hours on end cooking high-calorie meals when you can go raw and get the same satisfying taste? As opposed to colder seasons, summer is the time when even our bodies seem to be longing for lighter and less processed meals in the first place, with no-heat side dishes and even main courses being the way to go for a better figure and mood alike. Aside from the classic salad, veggies like cabbage, carrots, beets, black radish, and various other green crisps make for an excellent alternative, not to mention the ever-so-wholesome and yummy option of freshly made guacamole. As one Harvard University experiment showed, cooked food does indeed offer us more energy, but at the cost of more calories and fat deposits over time. Hence, go for the raw version whenever possible to maintain your waistline summer thin.
- Use the weather to your advantage – don’t even think about ‘locking’ yourself up in the gym during the summertime! Although it might have air conditioning, you could really use the hot and physically demanding weather outside to your weight loss advantage and bikini-body goals. By running or going through your aerobic routine out in the open, you are putting more fat-burning stress on your organism, hence boosting metabolic rates and eliciting better figure sculpting results over time. Don’t worry if you feel sweatier or out of breath more easily than you would have inside – that’s just your body working overtime to regulate your internal processes, thus using up more calories in the meanwhile. Just remember to stay adequately hydrated and to take breaks whenever you feel a bit overwhelmed in order to keep your energy and positive mood up.
- Avoid over-drinking – while summer weekends or vacations seem like the ideal moment to enjoy a bit of alcohol (no matter what the hour of the day is), you should also know that booze can actually bring you down significantly when it comes to saving up on calories. A normal serving of beer or wine can add more than 100 calories to your diet, with sugary or mixed alcohol cocktails doubling or tripling this amount per glass. As a result, reserve these either for very special occasions during the summer or simply replace them with low-calorie, yet equally satisfying alternatives. For example, take a small amount of your choice of liquor (tequila, vodka, etc.) and combine it with club soda and some sort of aromatic ingredients such as mint, ginger, citrus slices or fruit chunks. This way, you’ll get to enjoy a fancy drink while you relax, accelerate your body’s natural metabolic rates, and not compromise on your routine caloric intake at the same time.
- Go big on H2O – as you might have guessed by now, drinking water is essential for any truly worthwhile summer diet. Nevertheless, there are more ways than one to stay hydrated during the hot weather, with fresh produce and veggie-based broths being at the top of this list. Not only will a generous salad, hearty soup, or vegetarian-style dish make you feel full for longer and postpone the sensation of hunger, but they will also boost your H2O levels while ensuring you get the necessary nutrients your organism needs to function daily. And why not order a fruit salad or smoothie for dessert in order to achieve the same hydrating, satiating, and overall taste bud friendly effect? It’s no secret that vegetables, legumes, and fruit are much cheaper during the summertime, as well as healthier and more flavourful – especially when grown in a chemical-free environment. So take advantage of this abundance of freshness in your routine meals for a bikini body worth envying!
- Heat up the grill – if you can’t escape work this summer for a holiday, then why not make the best out of your present circumstances and throw a couple more barbecue parties during the weekends? By choosing to grill instead of fry or cook your lean meat and vegetables, you are saving up on calories, eating healthier dishes, and even working on your socializing skills, for that matter. Opt for meal ingredients which are both easy to prepare and full of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients such as bass, mackerel, aubergines, zucchinis, mushrooms, etc. And don’t shy away from condiments either – but, instead of the commercial ones (which are jam packed with chemical and preservatives), go for organic spices, fresh/ dried herbs, and citrus juice to really boost the flavor factor of your grilled meals. Consequently, you’ll stay fit, satiate your hunger in a truly wholesome way, and also relax while spending quality time with your friends and family members alike.
- Fewer clothes, more motivation – what could be more motivating than the prospect of being half naked in front of so many people during your summer beach outings? As the phrase ‘swimsuit body’ suggests, we’re all collectively expecting some sort of standard when we put on these poolside items of clothing and, naturally, we want to achieve this standard by looking our best. So, the natural consequence of this sort of mentality would be an increased sense of willpower when it comes to snacking extra, cutting some slack in training routines, or having a couple more glasses of wine in the evening. The fact of the matter is that diets are mostly about our capacity to sort out when we’re actually hungry and when we’re just caving into various triggers of pseudo-hunger (thirst, cravings generated by boredom or food commercials, the additives in various products, etc.). Ask yourself: do you want to look great having fun in the summer or have a(another) slice of cake?
- Move your meals outside – when is the last time you went on a proper picnic? If you can’t remember, then it’s been too long since you’ve enjoyed the pleasure of a nice meal outside in nature. And did you know that dining al fresco could actually help you achieve a slimmer summer figure? On the one hand, it’s the psychological factor: once you’re surrounded by the sunshine, vegetation, and other such organic elements on a restaurant’s terrace, you’re more inclined to order healthier dishes instead of fatty, sugary, and ultimately calorie-ridden ones. On the other hand, going to a park and having to bring along your own food means you’ll pack less (for instance, smaller containers) and go for the items which last better during the summer heat (pre-sliced veggies and fruit, soft cheeses, lean meats, etc.). Additionally, you’ll be more inclined to engage in outdoor activities such as games and walking trips, which accelerate fat burning and boost your mood alike.