With the summer heat slowly creeping up on us it might be time to consider this year’s bathing suit attire. Although it might be tempting to shed some of those unwanted winter pounds by going on an expensive crash diet there’s actually some really simple and frugal ways to lose. These ten tips will have you working on your perfect summer bod before you even have time to stop and think about how pale you’ve gotten. With the pounds on their way off of your body you’ll feel confident and ready to take on the long summer pool parties and days at the beach. You may even want to incorporate all of these quick and easy ways to lose into your every day life, so you’ll never have to worry about spending a small fortune on weight loss again.
1. Running/Walking
It’s pretty easy to lock ourselves up during the cold winter days. It’s even easier when you live in a place that gets plenty of snow and icy cold wind. One of your first ways of combating that extra fat you stored during the day of bad weather is to actually get out and get walking or running. Although it might be a bit hard to begin your weightloss journey by running miles you can easily work yourself up to this level of fitness. Once the weather begins to mellow try to stop using your car as often. Instead, find excuses to walk. For instance, if you don’t live too far from your children’s school then walk them to and from school. This will give you lots of exercise and will work up your metabolism thanks to the early morning exercise. You may also want to consider walking to the grocery store, work or anywhere that isn’t too far from your home. If you don’t have a safe place to walk then find a nice park you can walk before or after work. You may even want to try spending time walking a lap or two during your lunch break. Once your fit enough to walk far you can easily take some of those routes and turn them into a run.
2. Eat Seasonal
Our bodies love seasonal foods and so do our wallets. During the spring and summer months there are lots of fruits and vegetables in season that don’t have a whole lot of calories. In fact, sticking to a primarily fruit and vegetable diet can help you lose weight rather quickly. During this season there are lots of alkaline foods in the marketplace which means you’ll feel energized and healthy faster. You can even use many of these seasonal fruits and veggies to power up your diet with breakfast smoothies that will help keep you going all day. Seasonal foods and vegetables are often on sale in stores and look better than all of the other fruits and vegetables. Fish is also another great thing to buy in season now which will help you get plenty of protein in your diet without the extra calorie intake.
3. Utilize the Household
Your house can actually be the solution to many of your weight loss needs. In fact, simply doing the strenuous cleaning jobs in the home more often you’ll begin to lose weight a whole lot faster. One amazing thing is that all of the effort you put into spring cleaning is a great jump start to your weight loss goals. In fact, organizing, installing carpets and painting is one of the easiest ways to find yourself on the way to healthier lifestyle for the summer. You can also utilize items in the home like chairs, cans of food and bottles of water to help you lose weight. These items can easily replace some of the more expensive work out items you need to push your at home workout a little further. Now, with your cleaning routine altered, your home under reorganization and your pantry aiding you in workouts, you should be able to lose plenty and tone up before you put on your first bathing suit.
4. Take Breaks
If you tend to spend a lot of time at the office desk you may be gaining more weight than you think. The longer you are inactive the greater chance you have of gaining weight as well as other health issues that could make it more difficult to get in shape and feel confident about your body. Instead of working straight through for hours you should try to stop and take a break every hour. In this hour you can do a set of push ups, set ups or jumping jacks to help keep your metabolism up and active. You don’t have to start out doing 100 in each set either. In fact, simply doing sets of ten can get your in better shape than you could ever imagine. Of course, we don’t all have somewhere private to go to do these types of exercises and many of us may not be able to take a break that often. If this is the case whenever you can take a break you should stand up, walk and perform basic stretches before sitting back down. Between your walking breaks you can easily remain sitting and perform small arm and leg stretches that will help the body stay active. Taking these breaks can also help you maintain your concentration and will help your eyes stay healthier for longer.
5. Play with the Kids
You might not have guessed that playing with the kids can be one of the biggest ways to help your fat melt away. Children are usually healthier for a reason so follow their lead and play outside. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting hoops, playing tag or seeing who can get the best score at hopscotch, as long as you’re moving you’ll be on your way to a healthier lifestyle that will give you more energy. Playing with the kids will also help them develop a healthier lifestyle which could mean they will be going into their adult life with more tools to keep their bodies and minds healthier and happier. The more you play with the kids the greater a bond you will develop too which will help your family as you all grow stronger and healthier together.
6. Dance
It doesn’t matter if you think you’re the best dancer on the planet or you are too shy to bust a move in public! Dancing is one of the greatest ways to get your heart rate up while having a whole lot fun. The best thing is, you don’t have to stick with the dancing you’re good or even the dancing you know how to do. In fact, you can give just about anything a try because all dancing can not only help you loose weight but make you feel happier about life in general. From ballet to hip hop, you can take moves you didn’t even know existed to created a workout plan for you. If you love dancing as much as possible them try to schedule a night out with the girls. You can even host the dance night in if you’re looking to save some extra money. Of course, if you’re a bit on the shy side then go somewhere private, put on your favorite songs and just let loose for awhile. If you’re looking for some direction with your dancing then you may want to work on joining a class or you could even purchase a video game that lets you interact with it. No matter what you choose to do you’ll be ready to show off your body in your new suit thanks to your dancing skills.
7. Skip the Sweets
Let’s face it, in the past six to eight months we’ve had our fair share of sweets. From Halloween on to Easter there’s been an abundance of pies, chocolates and hardened pieces of sugar to last us for the entire year. So, it might be time to take a step away from the chocolates bag and let your body gets its sugar from fresh fruits instead. Cutting out sweets can be one of the easiest ways to cut the calories and get your summer figure back. Most desserts contain just as many calories as a meal, so by skipping this part of the meal you’re already cutting out the amount you need to burn off substantially. One of the best ways to cut down your cravings for the leftover Easter chocolate or the apple pie at parties is to enjoy a nice smoothie for breakfast. You can add vegetables to the smoothie to keep it healthier, but the sweetness from the fruit will instantly ease your sweet tooth for the day.
8. No Take Out
Sure, you have a busy lifestyle and with the weather heating up its too hot to heat up the oven. There’s still no real excuse to opt for the fast food option though. This can be one of your worst enemies when it comes to combating your winter weight gain and can make you feel tired and unmotivated while you’re working out. Instead of eating take out try to stick to salads, or package some crock pot meals to make your life a little easier after work. If you can maintain eating healthy for the next few weeks there’s actually no reason why you should gain any more weight before the summer months. Take out foods can be incredibly greasy, filled with too many calories and designed to make you want even more fast food. Each of these items is already a recipe for disaster so try to avoid temptation at all cost. After a few weeks of no take out food you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll have a whole lot of extra money in your wallet to enjoy some amazing summer activities.
9. Hit the Pool/Beach
Although you might not feel as confident in your bathing suit, a trip to the beach or pool could help you burn some major calories. Swimming is one of the best exercises available and is gentle on just about every body type. If you can find a pool that isn’t as busy it could be one of the best places to swim laps or do some water aerobics to get the body working better. Of course, the beach is also a great place to work out some of those excess calories. Whether you decide to play in the waves, go for a swim or simply walk or run on the beach, you’ll burn more calories than you ever though possible. The beach and pool are also great places for family fun so you can enjoy getting active with the entire household.
10. Think Positive
One of the biggest problems with a lot of weight loss plans is many people go into them believing they’re not going to work. The best thing you can do about your weight loss plan is to believe you’re going to get healthier and feel better about yourself. Thinking positive helps get rid of chemicals in the body, like Cortisol, which force the body to hold onto fat around the mid-section. When you go into a workout feeling better about yourself you are more likely to keep up the routine. You’ll also feel better about your body and mind even before you begin to lose weight which will already help you feel great about your summer body.
Finding your summer body can be a hard task, especially if you already have confidence issues. With these few tips you’ll be able to enjoy your summer body without actually spending any money on weight loss plans or special diets that could lead to nowhere. With this knowledge at hand you may even find your fitness levels skyrocket throughout the entire year.
