Dear Andi,
Sincerely,
-Weighted-Down by Winter
Dear Weighed-Down by Winter,
It is typical to gain an extra layer or two as the weather gets wintry (and I don’t just mean Christmas sweaters!) All the family feasts, parties, and holiday treats help us feel warm and cozy throughout the cold weather, but can leave us feeling weighed down by the time Spring rolls around!
To fight back all that Holiday weight; you should get plenty of exercise. However, Spring Break is awfully close and you might not have time to hit the gym and tone up. While there is no secret overnight remedy to healthily drop a few pounds, there are a few tricks that can help you look and feel better!
Drink plenty of water
Drinking at least eight ice cold glasses a day will work wonders on your body’s look and feel. Staying hydrated actually reduces bloating. When your body is dehydrated, your digestive tract isn’t up to speed which gives you the bloated look and feel. Always take water over a soda. Just say no to Cokes, Red Bulls and AMPs. Sugary drinks won’t help you cleanse your system of the fat you built up. Also, carbonation makes you bloated, so stay away from it if you want a flat tummy. Plus, Staying hydrated will also give you energy and a nice glow to your skin!
Don’t Skip Meals
Some girls think that the quickest way to drop a few numbers on the scale is to deny your body food. This couldn’t be more wrong! Skipping meals is a fast track to gaining weight. When you deny your body food, it responds by drastically slowing down your metabolism in efforts to hold on the all the fats it needs to work. Eat around 4-5 light meals a day. Don’t starve yourself and then eat one over indulgent meal. Eating multiple times spaced out through your day will show you fast results and keep your metabolism up to bikini standards!
Avoid Late Night Eating We are all guilty of this at least once
We starve ourselves all day and hold back from eating a lot. When night time rolls around, we are ravenous and will eat a bit of everything. Eating right before bed is not a good idea, unless you are hungry of course. When you sleep, your metabolism takes a rest too. Eating at night is okay as long as you are active and awake meaning your metabolism isn’t slowing. If you are hungry before bed, avoid carbohydrates and eat protein. A scoop of peanut butter and a glass of milk is the way to go! Protein will work on your body while you sleep whereas carbohydrates turn into fat because they aren’t being used for energy.
Dress for your body
Just because it is a time when people go to the beach, don’t convince yourself you have to slim down in order to wear a tiny bikini. Wear what you feel comfortable in! You don’t have to be a supermodel to rock a bikini, so where one with pride. If you don’t feel comfortable in a bikini, you can wear other swimwear such as a tankini. Target and Victoria’s Secret have a great variety of adorable swimwear!
Have Fun!
If you make yourself miserable over your body then your Break won’t serve its purpose. Break is supposed to be a time of relaxation and recreation. Everyone adds a few pounds over winter and every girl on the beach is feeling exactly like you do now. So of course be healthy and follow these rules but have fun. Be confident in yourself and it will show just as appealing as weeks in a gym would. Be good to your body and it will be good to you!
xoxo Andi