Permanent Summer Slimdown

This is such a hot topic at this time of year. Suddenly we are faced with the reality that the layers of clothing we have been wearing over the last few months will slowly need to be peeled off.

The thoughts of the extra comfort food that we have been indulging in over the months coupled with the missed training sessions because of the cold have added the kilo’s on. Rather than beat yourself up over the added weight embrace the time you enjoyed over the cold months because there is no use dwelling on something that can not be changed. Now you need to step up to the challenge of making a few adjustments to your lifestyle in order to feel good about  yourself in the warmer months. However, it is important to remember that feeling good is relative to yourself. It is not to be as skinny as the models that are portrayed in the magazines, or beating yourself up with excessive exercise and minimal food in order to reach the unrealistic expectations put on women of today. It is purely about YOU! What you can do to make you a better mother, wife, sister or friend. Positive thoughts from within will come shining through all your extremities.

Rather than embark on a diet and exercise regime that will make you stressed. Look at your current lifestyle at present. Firstly look at your diet, where do you think you can make some healthier changes.

DIET SUGGESTIONS

• Remove the extra hot drinks like hot chocolates and cappuccino’s from your diet.
• Switch any hot comfort foods to low fat salads and sandwiches
• Consume more fruit and vegetables at each meal
• Look at healthier snacking options like yogurt, nuts and fruit
• Drink more water throughout the day
• Be more conscious of portion control. It is better to be hungry in 2 hours after you have eaten rather than 4-5 hours. Getting hungrier sooner revs up your metabolism.

Now look at your current exercise routine

EXERCISE SUGGESTIONS

• As the weather warms up, start going for walks outside
• Take an extra or different class at the gym
• Team up with a training partner. This forces you to commit as someone is depending on you and helps create a healthy habit of exercise
• Join an outdoor BOOTCAMP or exercise group.
• Start being more conscious to move more. This might be to walk up the stairs instead of using the lifts or walking around the oval as your son or daughter is at basketball training.

My final advice on slimming down for summer is to not obsess over it. Don’t put yourself on the latest fad ‘diet’ that is not sustainable long term or spending extra hours at the gym in order to lose weight.

Take the challenge  to not only slim down for the summer to only put the weight back on in the winter. Work on creating healthy eating habits and more incidental exercise that creates a permanent lifestyle change.  It should take no extra effort to maintain these habits. This in turn will avoid you reaching the same place next winter, you should be able to create a balance in your lifestyle that won’t see you with a noticeable amount of excess weight in the colder months.

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