As the New Year approaches, most of us will come up with a New Year’s resolution to lose those pesky few Covid-19 pounds and get the summer body that we always wanted.
Now most of us will wait to start this journey in January or even later like May. But the best way to approach this and get the summer body of your dreams is to start early and not wait for January 1st. Below, you will find 5 Tips for Getting the Summer 2022 Body.
1. Plan
The first step to get the summer body is to plan. Most people will wake up on January 1st hungover from the previous night and will forget their New Year’s resolutions. When January 2nd comes around, they will remember it and say, ‘I’ll start tomorrow’ or ‘I’ll start on Monday’. Try to avoid this proven new year’s resolution killer by planning.
Come up with the exact date that you will start. It does not have to be January 1st, but make sure it is within the first week of the New Year. By setting the date ahead of time, you will have a goal in mind to which you can adhere. To help with a planning, buy yourself a planner or a calendar that you can use to write down your weekly and monthly goals in.
My recommendation would be for a wall calendar that you can hang up in your office, workout room, or any space in your home that you spend a lot of time in. By doing this, you will be reminded about your goals daily and it will be easier to stick with them.
2. Eat Healthy
The second step to get the summer body is to eat healthy. Now, my recommendation is not to pick up a fad diet that promises fast weight loss. Use this time to figure out a lifestyle change you want to make to eat healthy. You may decide to eat more greens and proteins and get rid of sugars and processed food from your diet.
Try to pick a diet that has foods that you enjoy eating, like the Mediterranean Diet or the Dash Diet. Do a little research about the diets and pick which one you believe you would be able to stick with.
Try to come up with different menu options that you like and that you will not mind eating. Possibly come up with two to three options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You can alternate what you eat each day to help you stick with it easier.
3. Exercise
The third step to get the summer body is to exercise. To lose weight, you need to move your body. Unfortunately, we are not able to get around this part. Now, what type of exercise should you do and how much?!
My recommendation is to start out light with about 30 to 40 minutes a day for 3 days of week. Decide ahead of time, what day and what time of day you will exercise. Get a gym membership with a gym like 24 Hour Fitness.
They are open 24 hours, and you can schedule your exercises around your time preference and not wait for the gym to open. Next, decide what type of exercises you will do, pick a few different activities that you are willing to do to lose weight. HIIT workouts have been highly recommended to lose weight and tone up for summer.
Try to incorporate a HIIT workout routine, with some cardio(walking), and weight training. At first, start out easy and light. Give yourself and your body some time to get used to a routine, the more you do it the easier it will become.
4. Consistency
The fourth step is to stay consistent. To lose weight and see some change, it takes 90 days. That is 3 months to see any real progress, and not one or two weeks. Most people will give up in the first week or so because they do not see the number on the scale move much and they don’t see the change when they look at the mirror.
Do not be one of these people! Stick with your plan, eat healthy, and exercise. Give yourself this time to see some real progress and change. If you read any books or watch and healthy series, they will say it takes 90 days to see progress. Wait for those 90 days to really see some change on the scale and in the mirror.
As Dwayne Johnson says, “Success isn’t always about the greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” Think like The Rock and stay consistent with your summer body goals.
5. Celebrate small Accomplishments
The fifth and final step is to celebrate the small accomplishments. Create a goals list with rewards for accomplishing those goals. Goals like lost 5 pounds, lost 10 pounds, ran a mile, and completed a workout for the full 60 minutes.
The rewards can be anything from a sweet treat, to buying yourself something, or even picking a cheat meal. Make sure to write down what the goals will be and what you will reward yourself once you achieve that goal.
This can also be a motivator to achieving the goal itself. Also, make sure to identify your final goal for this weight loss journey. Do you have a specific amount of weight loss you want to accomplish, or do you want to fit in a particular bikini when the journey is done?!
Use that final goal as a measurement tool on your journey, but always make sure to mark the small accomplishments first. The final goal will take some time to accomplish and by sticking with your plan you will be on your way to accomplish the big goal. Good luck with your journey!