5 tips to lose weight and get toned for summer

We’re well into February my friends! You have about 16 weeks left before it’s tank-top and bikini weather. Is your body summer-ready? If you still needs to drop a few pounds before the warm weather hits, here are a few things you can do to get the ball rolling.

Follow these 5 steps to really get the ball rolling on those goals of yours. Burn fat, build muscle, tone and define your body.

Throw out your junk food

             – If there is junk food within your reach, chances are you’ll reach for it! Get rid of any foods that are barriers to your goal. Fill your fridge and pantry with healthy foods and snacks such as fruits, nuts and yogurt.

Focus on compound movements

             – Focus on exercises that work more than one muscle at once. Compound movements are exercises such as squats, dead lifts, chest presses, shoulder presses and lunges.  Not only do you develop more muscles at once, you burn more calories doing these types of exercises.

Cardio Cardio Cardio

             – Cardio exercise is a great way to burn off any excess calories you may be carrying around. Don’t make the mistake of doing only cardio. While it’s a great way to burn calories, it won’t give you nice shape and tone – that’s done through weight training. Try to go as hard as you can for as long as you can; don’t pay too much attention to the heart rate zone on cardio equipment, it’s an outdated way to measure how hard you can work. Try to work at a good pace where you’re breathing heavily but not quite out of breath.

Lots of water

             -This explanation is really an oversimplification because water has so many benefits with regard to fat loss but I’ll talk about two of them. 1) It keeps your body, especially muscles, hydrated. Dehydration is the number one cause of muscle cramps. 2) It helps to flush out unwanted toxins from your body and helps with your weight loss goals.

Eat Smarter

My next article is going to be a huge discussion about fat loss and why people refuse to wake up and follow what works as opposed as to what is said to work. Eating is a huge part of that article. Here’s the short version:

Eat Breakfast, have a snack between lunch and another between dinner. AGAIN, healthy snacks include: Fruits, unsalted nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese and veggies.

If you don’t eat enough during the day, you’re more likely to overeat at night. You’re also more likely to settle for something quick and unhealthy because you’re too hungry to take the time to prepare something healthy.  

Don’t know which snacks are healthy?

Here are a few healthy snacking options that will help you on your weight loss journey:

Healthy Snacks:

Raw Almonds

20 almonds
Calories: 139

Mandarin

Serving shown: 180g, 1 medium & 1 small.
Calories: 95

Apple

Serving shown: 185g / 6.5oz
Calories: 96

Banana

Serving shown: 1 medium banana – 118g
Calories: 105

Grapes

Serving shown: 215g / 7.6oz
Calories: 148

Tuna

Serving shown: 85g / 3oz
Calories: 99

Popcorn

Serving shown: 2 cups
Calories: 62 (air-popped)
Calories:110 (oil-popped)
No condiments added.

Baby Carrots

Serving shown: 170g / 6oz
Calories: 60

Celery & Hummus

Serving shown: 40g / 1.4oz hummus
Calories: 108

Note: Buy celery pre-cut and pre-washed. Goes well with many other dips.

Cherry Tomatoes

Serving shown: 150g / 1 Cup
Calories: 27

Whole-grain Crispbread with Cottage Cheese

Serving shown: 1 cracker + ~45g (1.5oz) cottage cheese (light)
Calories: 70

Note: Aim for crispbreads or crackers that are completely whole grain and have a minimal amount of oil.

Bean Salad

80g / 2.8oz
Calories: 90

It’s not an easy road, but it’s definitely possible. Stick to these 5 rules and you will lose belly fat, build muscle and tone your body well before summer hits!