Achieving a summer body is all about being comfortable in your own skin, being able to socialize and being proud of your appearance. It is about setting aesthetic goals for yourself and knowing you can achieve those goals.
So here are some steps to follow to achieve a good summer body:
- Eat light
Starving yourself is not the right thing to do because your brain will automatically slow down your metabolism when you starve. Eating right and eating light go hand in hand. Decrease the amount of simple carbs you are eating, increase the amount of lean healthy protein and most importantly, focus on a plant-based diet. Try eating smaller meals throughout the day.
- Hydrate
Drinking enough water is always important. Keeping the body hydrated helps the heart more easily pump blood through the blood vessels to the muscles, and helps the muscles work efficiently. Know the amount of water you need to stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol and soda, the caffeine in soda which can be a diuretic, will make you urinate more quickly, and you will lose more fluid. This leads to dehydration; when you are dehydrated it hurts your performance, increases the risk of injury, and hurts your circulation.
- Exercise
You have to exercise if you want to achieve your perfect summer body.
But this breaks out into two basic categories:- Weight loss: If you want to lose weight, focus on two main things – Cardio and Weight Training.
Weight training helps you to gain muscle mass which not only makes you look good but also allows you to burn more calories throughout the day.
For Cardio, focus on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It means a period of intense exercise for about 60 seconds followed by a period of less intense exercise for about 4 minutes. Those intervals can be changed according to your athletic ability. But generally, the principle stays the same.
It also applies to any kind of cardio, whether it is swimming, cycling, running etc. You have to do cardio workout 3 to 4 times a week for about 30 minutes. - Weight gain: You want to minimize your cardio and aerobic workouts and increase your weight lifting. Focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bent rows, bench press, pull-ups etc instead of machines or isolation movements. Compound exercises are those that work multiple muscle groups at the same time.
- Weight loss: If you want to lose weight, focus on two main things – Cardio and Weight Training.
- Diet plan:
To bulk up, try some of the following foods that contain healthy fats, proteins and complex carbohydrates that help build muscle and use fat to burn energy.
- lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, peanut butter, cottage cheese etc
- red meat with no growth hormones, such as grass-fed beef
- nuts, such as almonds
- fat-rich fruits, such as avocados
- full-fat dairy, such as full fat milk
- whole-grain breads
- eggs
To lose weight, think of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, particularly ones that taste especially best in the summer months, try to have foods which are rich in fibre, contain high percentage of water and are low in calories. This will help you reduce appetite, stay hydrated and thus increase your overall calorie expenditure.
- Chilled vegetable soups
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
- Grilled seafood
- Grilled vegetables
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Things to avoid
- Refined carbs (fries, white pasta, white bread, pastry, fast food)
- Sugary/fatty drinks (coffee with sugar, hot chocolate, energy drinks, milkshakes)
- Alcohol (especially beer and spirits mixed with fizzy drinks)
- Sugar/saturated fat (chocolate, sweets, cakes, fast food)
- Sleep
Sleep is one of the crucial aspects to stay healthy and also have a great physique. When you sleep, your muscles recover; sleep re-energizes your metabolism and refreshes the mind. It is needed for your physical and mental wellbeing. When you don’t get sufficient sleep (7 to 9 hours for adults), your capability to concentrate is reduced, and you are at increased risk of injury. Most importantly, your hunger pangs increase, so you want to eat all day long which is going to ultimately kill your physique.
- Reduce stress: Excess stress can release a hormone called cortisol, and it can lead to unhealthy weight gain or weight loss. Meditate, get a massage, or spend more time on your favorite hobbies.
- Limit alcohol
Alcohol tends to have a lot of added sugar, you can’t process it or utilize it for energy. Alcohol is diuretic, meaning it will cause you to lose more water. This will hurt your performance. Alcohol is a toxin, so any time you are ingesting toxin, the liver has to neutralize it. It makes the liver work harder and has an effect on metabolism.
Know what your abilities are, what you are capable of, and how well you stay motivated. Setting realistic goals is the smart way to do this, because you won’t over strain yourself and you reduce the risk of injury. Follow these steps and build a lifestyle around rest, relaxation and self-care.
