Summer (officially) will be upon us quickly. It tends to creep up rather fast and I know what you’re thinking.
New wardrobe!
Or maybe, you want to continue hiding in your joggers and long sleeves. I know my clients, many of who are losing weight at a healthy and quick pace, are excited for the heat. In fact, for the first time in years, many of them are excited to pull out their bathing suit and wear less clothes!
I love seeing their bodies transform! But more importantly, I love seeing their excitement to wear new clothes and feel comfortable in their own skin.
So if you’ve been hesitant to show more skin this summer and scared to jump into that bikini, don’t fret! Follow my simple tips below that I share with all of my weight loss clients to prepare them for the summer months ahead. In as little as 3-4 weeks, you can transform your body and your health with simple tweaks.
Do these 5 things NOW to quickly get your body summer ready…
1. Eat More Veggies: Your mom was right, eating vegetables really is a good idea, especially when preparing to shimmy into a bathing suit. Why? There are a couple of reasons. First, veggies are low in calories and high in fiber, which means that you’re filling up without packing on pounds. Second, the vitamins and minerals in fresh vegetables nourish your body, cut down on cravings and support detoxification. Aim to eat at least 2-3 cups of vegetables at each meal. Your plate should be full of veggies. I tend to find most people fill their plate with carbohydrates and protein and forget the vegetables all together. Plus, all that fiber will help to keep you regular and flush out toxins through your bowels.
2. Give Yourself Just 10 Minutes: Each week, between now and your beach debut, I want you to give yourself 10 minutes to workout. Now… do I want you exercising and moving your body for longer than 10 minutes? Well of course! But when you’re feeling sluggish and tired, give yourself just 10 minutes and I guarantee you’ll get those endorphins flooding your system that you’ll want to push through for another 10 minutes. It’s all about getting started and that I know you can do!
3. Double Up On Water: Not only will staying extra hydrated help your skin to have a healthy glow, it will also speed up your fat loss efforts. Most of us are walking around in a state of chronic dehydration, which contributes to fatigue, stubborn weight gain, constipation and aging. No one wants that! By drinking more water throughout the day, and by limiting your intake of caffeinated beverages, you’ll become healthier, more radiant, and sexier in that bikini. Aim for at least 2-3L of water a day.
4. Eat Low Carb (after 5pm): One of the easiest ways to drop a few inches around your waist before the warm weather hits is to eat low carb after 5pm each day. This means eating dinners that are centered around salads and vegetables rather than breads and pastas. Aim to consume your carbs, such as fruit, wheat free oats, quinoa or sweet potato earlier in the day and keep your dinners, lean, mean and green! And yes, fruit is sugar, which means it’s a carbohydrate. Why not try swapping your dessert for a 1/2 cup of fresh berries if you really need that sugar fix in the evening?
5. Balance Your Hormones: Weight loss is really dependant on hormonal health. If you’re eating high carbohydrate foods, constantly skipping meals or eating too often, you send your blood sugar on a constant rollercoaster ride. This can have you reaching more for food and just not feeling satisfied. Protein and healthy fats are where it’s at to help balance out your blood sugar. Be sure you are eating high quality protein at every meal and consuming some avocado, olive oil, coconut oil or ghee with your meals. Also, if you’ve been known to constantly eat every 2-3 hours, you might want to read my latest article about why it’s a bad idea! Click here to read now.
Stress can also effect your weight loss efforts. Cortisol, your stress hormone, can pack on the pounds around your belly. If you’re constantly rushing through your day, always feeling behind, multitasking through a million things, overworked, exhausted and well… stressed; then there’s a good chance your cortisol is running on high.
Cortisol is important for the maintenance of blood pressure as well as the production of energy. It’s what helps you rise in the morning out of bed and when lower at night, allows for you to fall asleep. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism and stimulates insulin release to help with the maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions can be an increase in appetite. More cortisol and more insulin means you want more food.
The good news is that you can manage this by addressing your stress and lifestyle and making the conscious effort to eliminate the biggest stressors in your life. Yes I know, that’s easier said than done, but it is absolutely necessary if you want to increase energy, lose weight and maintain your overall health.
Work with me – if you’ve been looking to finally lose the weight and manage your imbalanced hormones, then let’s set up some time to discuss your goals. Check out my Metabolic Weight Loss Program for more info or email me at – samanthagladish@gmail.com. Together, we can design the perfect plan for you and get you summer ready!
