We are just six weeks away from summer break! It’s time to get in shape and get the beach body that we all strive for. This guide is not just a quick fix but helps teach you some skills you need in order to commit to a lifestyle change! Diets are temporary but clean eating and exercise can lead to permanent results! Here is your guide for getting fit for summer!
1. Find the Diet that Best Suits your Body
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You may have heard the phrase, “Weight loss is from 80% diet and 20% exercise.” Everyone’s body is unique and foods that interact well with one person’s body may not interact well with another. Give yourself 30 days to experiment with a variety of foods and see how your body reacts! If your goal is to shed some pounds for the summer, try decreasing your sugar and carb intake as well as increasing your fiber and protein intake.
2. Intermittent Fasting
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Now that you have experimented with your diet, try to incorporate intermittent fasting into your everyday routine. This style of eating facilitates fat burning and tones your muscles. Start by fasting for 16 hours throughout the night (including sleep time!) and eat for 8 hours during the day. You will fit more meals into a shorter amount of time before going back into the body’s fasting state.
3. Drink Up
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Aim to drink a gallon of water a day. It may sound like a lot, but it flushes out the body’s toxins and even decreases bloating! While the rule is to drink half of your body weight in ounces, the results are far greater when you drink a gallon of water a day. There are tons of experiments online showing the benefits that appear simply from drinking water. Drink some green tea or some warm lemon water in the morning to speed up your metabolism!
4. HIIT
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Now that you’ve gotten some tips for healthful eating, try incorporating a gym routine into your life! The best way to tone up and lose fat is buy incorporating high intensity interval training! HIIT burns more calories than cardio or weight lifting alone. It’s a form of training that incorporates intense anaerobic exercise with recovery periods. HIIT improves athletic performance and increases metabolism showing quick results that last! This is the perfect training style for collegiates because it is an excellent way to maximize a workout when you are limited on time!
5. Weight Lifting/Resistance Training
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Try to incorporate weight lifting at least once a week. This is the most effective way to build muscle strength and tone your body. Recent research shows that strength training is beneficial for both your body and mind! Incorporating resistance training into your exercise regimen helps to increase mood and relieves symptoms of depression! This helps relieve the stress that arises from midterm season!
No specific guide or diet will change your body. Oftentimes the results that do show quickly disappear even faster and may leave you feeling more sluggish and tired than before. Incorporate these simple tips into your life and experiment a variety of ways to find the one that best suits your body. Remember: your summer body is the one you are most happy in!