If you put on weight during lockdown, which lets face it a lot of people probably did, due to not being as active, then you are probably wanting to get rid of this excess weight and return to looking trim and svelte. You might be wanting to achieve the perfect beach body so that you can strut around in your beachwear when on vacation. Achieving this will take time and patience, but here are some suggestions to maintain the ideal beach body look this summer.
Burn More Calories Than You Eat
This may seem obvious but the key to maintaining a good healthy weight and avoiding piling on the pounds, is to exercise more than you eat. Exercise will help you burn off any calories that you have consumed. You also need to consider what you are actually eating, ideally you want to be consuming a healthy balanced diet which incorporates protein, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. So it is not only the number of calories that you are consuming which is important but what you are eating that will help you maintain a good healthy weight.
Cut Back On The Alcohol
Alcohol is full of calories, so if you want to avoid looking bloated and instead maintain that six pack of yours you are going to have to cut back on the alcohol consumption. If you are drinking copious amounts of beers on a regular basis this is not going to help you achieve your beach body look, so just be mindful if you are achieving most of your daily calorie intake through alcohol as opposed to food. At least with food it can provide some nutritional content compared to the empty calories of alcohol.
Eat Breakfast In The Morning
Ideally you want to have something to eat in the morning even if it is only something small. This way your body has some sustenance to keep it going until lunchtime. Starting the day right with a good nourishing breakfast will help to maintain your energy and sugar levels. You can put together a quick healthy breakfast by using overnight oatmeal flavor combinations. At least this way you are fuelling your body with what it needs until you next eat at lunchtime.
Be Mindful of What You Eat
Opting for the correct healthy foods is certainly going to help you achieve and maintain your beach body look. If you are binging on highly processed foods such as chips, fizzy drinks and candy, which are high in sugar and salt content, then this is certainly going to put a hindrance on maintaining your trim physique. Takeaways and ready meals usually contain lots of salt, sugar and preservatives. So the best way to avoid eating unhealthily is to cook your own meals using fresh produce with plenty of fruit and vegetables. They don’t need to be long complicated meals, you can easily put together a nice healthy meal in a short amount of time too. Have a look online for some inspiration for your next meal.
Drink Water
Keeping hydrated is just as important as eating, if not more. Water fuels and nourishes the body. This is particularly important if you plan on working out a lot in the gym, as water is beneficial to the cells and muscles in your body. So definitely drink plenty before and after a workout session to keep you hydrated. It also helps with your appetite. Sometimes you might be feeling hungry but in reality your body is thirsty for water, so you can mistake this for hunger. Try drinking water first before automatically reaching for food. It might just be that your body is craving water as opposed to food.
Establish a Routine
You will want to establish an exercise regime that works for you and fits into your daily routine. Whether it is getting up early to go for a run or starting the day with some gentle weightlifting to get your muscles working before opting for a more rigorous workout session. By establishing a routine you will soon learn what works for you and what doesn’t. Finding the ideal exercise regime that is suitable for you and keeps you motivated will be important if you want to keep active and prevent putting on weight. Once you have established your routine you can then start to mix it up a bit so that it does not become too monotonous and you are still able to challenge yourself.
Get Professional Advice
If you struggle with motivating yourself or knowing what sort of workout to do to achieve the best results then it may be useful to ask for professional advice in this field. The expertise of a personal trainer can be particularly useful if you are looking for someone to help you establish your exercise regime and help you stick to it. Sometimes motivation is the hardest part to overcome too.
With the help of a personal trainer they can help push you in the right direction. They will be able to tailor an exercise programme for your specific needs and help to motivate you. They will also provide necessary advice on how to prevent injuring yourself with gym equipment or by doing a workout in an incorrect manner. Then once you are more confident you will be able to continue with your workouts on your own. So it is definitely worth considering paying the money to hire a personal trainer for a bit, particularly if you are frustrated by the lack of progress from your current exercise regime and are not seeing the benefits yet.