This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Point Park chapter.
Summer is right around the corner, meaning it’s about that time to get bikini ready! Maybe you’re not in your best shape yet, but there are small and simple changes you can make to get confident for swimming pool season. Forget fad diets or spending five hours at the gym every day; follow these tips and you’ll feel better about yourself and how you look!
- Water, water, water: everyone says that water helps your health in general, and most of the time it’s hard to trade it in for a good high-calorie Starbucks iced drink. Drinking plenty of water really does improve your skin, helps bloating go away, and makes you burn calories faster! Try to drink 8 eight-ounce cups a day and you’ll be on your way in no time to a flatter stomach and perfect complexion. Throw in a lemon or lime to give your water more flavor if needed.
- Green tea: another low-calorie drink that improves your metabolism and tastes good! Instead of a sugary soda, drink a green tea and you’ll sleep better at night. The metabolism booster is an awesome bonus on top of other things, including increased energy throughout the day.
- Fiber: sounds gross, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not! A lot of cereal and granola bars have fiber and it actually tastes great! Fiber will help to flush out bad toxins in your body and will make you feel lighter.
- Vegetables: swap out chips & dip for veggies and low-fat dip or peanut butter. As heartbreaking as it is, crunching on a no-calorie piece of celery is significantly better than a 200-calorie of bag of baked chips. Trade in the carbs for a red pepper or even a cucumber in your water. All of the vegetables in your body will help you crave them more and get rid of the junk you are craving now.
- Wraps: say goodbye to bread! Going with a wrap is a healthier and lower-calorie way to eat a sandwich. Bread is loaded with sugars and carbs you didn’t even know about, and starch is a bad thing to digest. With all of the gluten that sticks to your stomach, the weight will be harder to lose. Make sure you remember that next time you order from Primanti’s!