Summertime Panic: 5 Tips to Feel Your Best
The warm months are coming (and if you are in the Northeast like me, THANK GOODNESS), but you know what that means for a LOT of people - that panic to *lose the winter layer of fat* and to lose it quickly.
I googled “The panic to lose weight for the summer” for sh*ts and gigs, and exactly what I anticipated would come up did. “How to Get Lean in Time for Summer”, “How to Get Slim for Summer in 10 Easy Steps (with pictures)”, “7 Quick Ways to Lose Weight Before Summer”. I mean, I could go on, but I think you get the idea here.
People want a quick fix. We are living in a society full of immediate responses. People messaging in real-time ALL the time. Things like Facebook and Instagram give that instant gratification. So why can’t I *slim down for summer* in the same fashion? Why can’t it be a quick fix? The reality is: your nutrition is your life. If we were preaching a quick fix or a fad/crash diet - we wouldn’t be a successful nutrition coaching company. Your nutrition is your life. Your nutrition is something that will always be there. Our goal, as you know (if you know anything about BIN), is to help you reach your goals in AND outside of the gym, to help you improve your relationship with food AND ultimately with yourself, and to create healthy habits surrounding food.
Look. I get it. I was once that person who ate grapefruit for breakfast because I thought it would help me lose weight quickly or I would do a juice cleanse (and then end up binging at night because I was STARVING.. But that’s a separate story for another time).
So what can we do? Its April. Summer starts SOON. The dreaded season of shorts and tank tops, of bathing suits and sundresses. But why? I know it’s much easier said than done, but why are we not loving every ounce of our bodies? Why are we constantly comparing ourselves? Why can’t we be ENOUGH… Just as we are… Right now? (Plot twist - we are enough, just like we are right now!!) You are worthy of loving yourself and being happy in your own skin.
I am going to get into just a few things that I am going to focus on in regards to being as HEALTHY as possible leading into the Summer months. I am not going to bombard you with things like “7 easy ways to lose weight” or anything like that, but I am going to give you some things you can do DAILY to help feel your best as it gets warm out there.
Drink all the water - Your body needs it. ESPECIALLY as it gets hotter out there - you are going to need to hydrate. If you can shoot for 100 ounces! For me, it helps to get a BIG glass (shaker bottle in my case) of water BEFORE anything else (yes, before the coff coff!!). If it will help you, get on Amazon and order a pretty water bottle!!!
Eat your dang vegetables!!!! Stay away from processed foods that jack your sodium up. They’ll make you feel bloated and they won’t keep you as satiated throughout your day. Now that it's spring, there are more of those yummy fruits and vegetables in season. Load up! Get out of your comfort zone and eat something new. Get all the colors on your plate :)
Don’t neglect SLEEP - this is huge. Warmer days typically mean more THINGS going on… But don’t let that cut into your sleep routine. Your body will thank you for allll theeee zz’s!
Take an ‘Alcoholiday’ - and yes, I get it, it’s MUCH easier said than done, especially with BBQs and the events of the summer. But try it! Make a realistic goal. 4 weeks? 6? All summer? The alcohol really adds up. And I promise you - it's still possible to have fun without drinking a ton!!!
Last thing: remember that you deserve to feel good about yourself (where you are - RIGHT NOW - in your nutrition journey). Make sure you continue to talk to yourself the way you would talk to someone you love. Positive self-talk can change your life if you practice it!!!
Written By: Kelsey, Nutrition Coach