First of all, I would just like to say that getting ‘summer ready’ shouldn’t be your only focus when it comes to going on holiday and enjoying your summer. I think we are so quick to focus on getting ‘bikini ready’ these days, rather than looking forward to the actual holiday itself. Remember, you’re on holiday too, you have every right to be carefree and body confident! However, I do understand the desire to want to look and feel your best when on holiday, especially as for most of us in the UK, it’s the one time in the year that we can whip out the sassy swimwear ;).
I set myself a goal, 4 weeks prior to my holiday, to work on defining my abs more, whilst keeping the progress that I had already made (the struggles :’). I didn’t want to drop my calorific intake too much, as I think I’ve found my maintenance level, but I did want to make my abs more defined. In order to achieve this, I increased the amount of cardio by doing treadmill sprints for 10-15 minutes for one session, stairmaster for another, and LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) for my final cardio session. Also, I included supersets on leg day (where you perform two exercises back to back) which really increases the intensity, and therefore the number of calories burned. Another thing I aimed to do, was to ensure I was snacking on healthy foods. For example:
- Avocado on brown toast
- Greek yoghurt and berries
- 30g of oats mixed with a scoop of whey protein
- Fruit
- A handful of nuts
- Banana and nautral peanut butter on toast
Below are a few tips that I would recommend if you wanted to shape up, however I do believe this should be something that is done way in advance of your holiday, as short-term weight loss plans are often so drastic and unattainable.
1) Are you actually hungry?
Our bodies are very clever when we are dehydrated at tricking us into feeling hungry when in actual fact we are thirsty. If you think you’re hungry you might actually be thirsty, have a drink and wait 10 minutes, if you’re still hungry after treat yourself to some food (healthy, of course ;))!
2) Increase your cardio
The thought of doing cardio is not as bad once you’re actually sprinting for your life, and the endorphins are keeping you company :’). HIT is the best for using up those energy reserves and helping you to get your sweat on!
3) Diet is key
Eating a healthy and nutrituos meals will do wonders for your wasitline! It really is that simple – eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and snack healthy and you will be well on your way!
I don’t think that there is anything wrong with working towards getting your body ready to a point that you feel body confident, as I state in my blog post all about setting yourself a goal – this is a perfect example of that, and can be a good motivation. But what I do believe, is that we should go about this in a healthy and sustainable way, besides there is far more to life (and holidays) than looking good in a bikini. Be confident, be happy, and enjoy your summer break,
Jazzy B ❤
In my eyes picnics are so underrated, although admittedly dependent on the weather, they’re so simple to organise that you could easily arrange one of an afternoon. As a student, I’m always thinking of things to do which are affordable, and this most definitely is! Everyone can provide some food, and before you know it you’ve got a tasty feast.
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