Get Fit for Summer

It's that time of year when people are trying to get their bodies ready for bikini clad days at the beach and lounging at poolside parties. If you feel like you have had a little too much indulgence during the holidays, you are probably at a crossroad right now of both wanting to lose all the extra pounds in order to confidently join the summer festivities and not knowing where to start.

Here are a few tips on how to get your ?right weight? back in time for beach season!

Eat the right food - You can't lose weight if you don't start with your nutrition first. Although exercise can help you tone your muscles, it is eating the proper food that will help you lose the weight that you want to get rid of. Add more vegetables and fruits to your diet, as well as good carbs and fat. Remember that the latter two are not the enemy, and are essential to a balanced diet. The trick is to choose the proper ones. For instance, instead of white rice, french fries and butter laden dishes, pick whole wheat pasta, brown rice and certain fish like salmon, which contains good fat.

Burn, baby, burn - Eating the proper food is your first step to weight loss, but burning that extra few hundred calories a day is just as important. For instance, if you consume 1,500 calories a day and burn 300-500 calories a day at the gym or doing some form of cardio, then you will safely lose 1-2 pounds per week.

Strength training - Cardio is what will help you burn the majority of the calories away, but it is strength training that builds and tones your muscles. Aside from that, it also helps burn extra calories! After the treadmill, get on a mat and do muscle building and core exercises such as planks, squats and leg raises.

Yoga - Yoga seems like a leisurely form of exercise as opposed to the ones you do at the gym but don't be fooled! You can burn up to 400 calories with a 90 minute Ashtanga/Vinsaya yoga class and even more if you choose Bikram. Constant practice will also help you become more flexible and will help with your peace of mind through the breathing exercises that usually happen during class. Clear your mind, become more flexible and lose weight, how can you go wrong?

Enjoy ?Me? time - Stress can lead to turning to junk food or ?comfort food? that are not always healthy. Also, it can lead to skipping meals and later on binging, late-night eating or other habits that are not good for you. Make sure you stay relaxed and of sound mind all the time, so you don't turn to food to make you feel better. You can also make better food choices throughout the day. Reward yourself with non-food treats such as a massage or a new lipstick. If you decide to buy a new dress, you might even be pleasantly surprised that you've already gone down a dress size!

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