Ok my friends, it’s getting hot outside, and this means one thing and one thing along, bathing suits are coming.
Before you fall into despair, crying and panting and wishing you were in Alaska, let’s just face this head on! No, we’re not all Jessica Alba, but you know what? There are ways to get in shape, even if it’s just in little bits and pieces! So, for the next four weeks, I’m going to post weekly tips on getting closer to a body you’ll like come July, even if begrudgingly 🙂
Here’s the plan: I’ll post on Friday, and for the next 7 days, we’re all going to try to do the tricks/habits/changes. I’m not going to post anything crazy, like, “Begin bench pressing your weight while drinking only protein shakes as meals”. These will be little things, easy things, we can all start doing to just adjust our lives, and angle them toward a hot body.
I’m the QUEEN of never exercising, and I’m really lucky that I have a crazy-fast metabolism, but you know what? At 30, some stuff feels to me like it’s just getting a bit….squishy. I don’t like it. I’m going to do this!! Do it with me!
Week One: 5 Habits
In Week One, let’s all adopt these 5 habits, that trim some fatty corners in our diet. The thing about losing weight, it needs to be a combination of physical movement and eating properly. If you work out for an hour every day, but you eat 2500 calories in ice cream before bed, do you really think you’re going to lost weight? I hope not! Transversely, if you eat 1500 calories of perfectly healthy food a day, but you lie in front of the TV 24 hours, do you really think you’re going to have bikini-ready thighs? I really hope not!
So, let’s look at 5 habits, to incorporate this week! (Sidenote: it takes 21 days to form a habit, if you can do this 21 days, chances are you’ll stick with it!)
Habit #1: Drink More Water
Did you know a large majority of time when you feel hunger, it’s actually your body’s response to thirst? Hunger and thirst get processed the same in your brain, and hydration is key to healthy eating. Your kidneys need it to flush out toxins and keep things moving internally, and drinking a full glass of water before a meal will lead to eating less calories, because your body is getting part of what it needs! Also, you can burn 62 calories by drinking ice water, because your body has to warm it up to digest, which is work! So, 8-10 glasses of ice cold water a day, and before meals, is our first habit!
The lovely Ms. Alba, drinking her water!
Habit #2: Walk Somewhere, Anywhere!
If you can add 1,000 to 2,000 steps to your day, you will change your body in a month, and it’s not that hard! Take the stairs, take a walk around the block with your kids/dog/boyfriend/or all alone. Walk to get your mail, walk across your building every time you need a copy from the copy machine, just walk somewhere! Habit # 2, let’s start walking more every day, whenever and wherever you can!
Walk it out
Habit #3: Fruits and Veggies = Eat This First on Your Plate!
Everyone already knows this, but filling up on fruits and vegetables is about 10,000 times better than filling up on donuts and cheese. But how many of us really do it? Besides the need, true need, in our bodies for the vitamins, fruits and vegetables can satisfy your hunger in a healthy way! Try this: twice a day, add one fruit and one vegetable to every meal, and eat it FIRST. If you master that, the next step is to make your plate look very heavy in the fruits and veggies, and not so heavy in the other areas. If you’re having three items on your dinner plate, make the produce section take up the most space. It’s not huge, but it helps!
Ok, you can’t tell me that doesn’t look DELICIOUS!
Habit #4: Eating Out Divided by Two
Dude, this is so hard for me!!! I spend a fortune in eating out! I’m not only talking about fast food here, I’m talking about all food that is prepared in a place where you pay them to give it to you. Restaurants use more oil, butter, and fryers than your kitchen, and then serve you about 3 times the amount of food you need. If you can cut back on the eating out, especially fast food!, you will see a result. Take however much you eat out, and divide it in half this week. Don’t hit a drive thru, don’t go to happy hour, don’t grab dinner with a friend. Pack your lunch, and invite the friend out for a walk (see how I did that combo? I’m clever, peeps) 🙂
Say what you will, those 50’s housewives had hot bodies under the aprons, gotta be that home-cooking!
Habit #5: Look in the Mirror and SMILE
Want to know the biggest culprit in feeling ugly? You. Every day, for this entire week, take 3 entire minutes, and smile at your full-body reflection. I am so serious! Three minutes out of every day to look at your body and appreciate it for not breaking down, carrying you through your life, carrying your children, making your husband smile, getting you to this age, being with you through your entire life’s story—it deserves a smile. Cellulite and all 🙂
Doesn’t healthy self-image look FUN?!
Ok…..I’ll let you know how my week went! Let me know how yours is going too! More tips for Week Two coming next Friday….
xoxoxoxo
by kimberlyjarman