It is so easy to get into the summer swing, isn’t it? Happy hours that go late into the still-light-out nighttime…BBQs that last all day…poolside coolers of beer and wine…and weekends filled with summer weddings, family get-togethers and pool parties. Are we starting to feel a little extra bloated yet? Or as Jade calls it, like “Quasi Bloato” :) I know I can easily get there if I don’t watch it. Here are my top 5 key tips for the laziest of summer bums, good luck! ox Jill
Tara & Emily–Beach Beauties!
1) Drink water–I usually up my plain, regular water intake to a minimum of 4 L per day (a little more than 1 gal). I know this sounds like a lot, but compared to doing a contest diet or even a hard workout, you have to admit drinking water is a ridiculously lazy tip. Upping water intake will help you shed water subcutaneously–the more you drink, the more you’ll shed.
2) Eat at least 1 huge salad every day–I don’t know about you, but when I am in the thick of summer, I tend to eat less, usually because of the hot weather or more casual feeling of the days…sometimes I will not even eat my first meal until 10-11am (not recommended!), but it just ends up that way sometimes. SO, a key lazy tip is to eat at least 1 huge salad every day BECAUSE if you eat nothing else nutritious that day, at least you got 5-6 servings of veggies in one fell swoop. Add at least 1-2 servings of lean protein like chicken or fish and you may just be satiated for 4 or more hours.
3) Eat at least 1 piece of fruit every day–not hard, yes? Who doesn’t love fruit? And commitment to eating 1 yummy fruit a day helps increase fiber intake, increase water intake and ups the vitamins and mineral consumption. Choose low sweet fruits like berries, apples, pears and grapefruits over high GI options like bananas, grapes, watermelon and pineapple. The latter choices are fine every once in a while, but the majority of your fruit options should be lower GI.
4) Lift weights consistently–I wouldn’t blame you if you gave up cardio for the summer :) Just thinking about being outside in this crazy weather (we are currently in the midst of a heat wave here on the east coast) makes me want to crawl back into my air-conditioned bed/bedroom. BUT, ladies, sorry…lazy or not, lifting weights is non-negotiable. Besides, with more skin showing, keeping those lines tight is key. Keep it simple, keep it lazy: 20-30 minutes/day 4-5 days per week. If you missed my at-home workout split, check it out or if you have access to a gym, try a Metabolic Effect Ipod workout ($5) and get personal trained by moi :) Be sure to keep it quick, heavy and intense to generate an after-burn that will last hours after the workout is over.
5) Skip fruity blended mixed drinks--nothing will put fat on you faster than a huge blended mudslide, period. I know because for a whole summer when I was 21 I maintained a strict diet of mudslides, pina coladas and margaritas (oh, and hot dogs and cheese) so I know the very “flattering” bloating effects! (If you missed this fun story, you can find it here :)) Make this a hard & fast rule for yourself because sugar + alcohol is a major no-no. If you want to drink alcohol, choose a glass of red wine, a vodka + soda or a vodka + diet tonic. A full list of acceptable BBQ foods and bevvies here.
