Summer Body Starter

I know, I must be crazy talking about getting a summer body when we're in the midst of winter and we have horrid weather outside. But this is actually the perfect time to get your body ready for summer and the season of shorts and short sleeves. Why? as by the time summer's here it'll be too late to get yourself into the summer clothes you'd love to wear. So if you're looking for ways to slowly getting into that summer 'feeling' and ease yourself into a 'diet' then here are some hints you can do to kickstart your metabolism before you get into a serious clean eating plan.

Eat balanced meals. Mix protein with complex carbohydrates or fibrous carbs as this
will keep you proper balance and to keep your energy level high and constant
throughout the day. Also don't forget to add in Flax/fish oil at your main meals.

Don't skip breakfast. Your metabolism is highest at the beginning of the day. If you deny
yourself food in the morning, this will only result in decreased metabolism. Make sure that you
eat a breakfast that is high in complex carbohydrates such as porridge. if you skip breakfast or
wait too long between meals, your body will store more of the calories it takes during the next meal. And if you eat too many calories late at night you will more than likely store those calories as fat.

Remove all products containing sugar from your diet - Sugar and bread are partners in crime
when it comes to helping you gain weight. Breakfast cereals are prime example of high sugar/'fat free' foods that you must avoid at all cost. Yes even weet-bix is high in sugar so change from that to porridge. You might be lured to choose a product which is 'fat free' thinking it might be better for you so you eat more which can lead to weight gain. A good example of this is a fat free yoghurt can contain 45gms of sugar while a light yoghurt may only have 9 grams. It is probably better in this case to go with a product that is higher in fat than sugar as can spike your insulin levels so that your energy levels are up and down. It is still ok to have yoghurt, just make sure you get the plain unsweetened and sweeten it with protein powder instead.

Eliminate bread - Cutting out bread is one sure way to fat loss. Bread is high in carbs and calories, and if you eat too much bread throughout the day, it can lead to fatigue and the feeling of lethargy all day long. And ofcourse more fat on those hips!

 

Adequate Water Intake. Try and drink at least 3 litres of water daily as water is important to eliminate metabolic waste products and to help you stay cool through sweating. Tip for dieters! drink a glass of water before your meal so that it fills you up and you won't be as hungry.

Limit fruit, fruit juice, soft drinks and alcohol. These foods are low nutrient foods and contain simple sugars which can easily be converted to bodyfat. If you are having fruit, make sure that it's after workouts as your body will need the sugar in fruit to restore muscle glycogen.

Take a good vitamin/mineral source daily: Vitamins and minerals are necessary to function
optimally. People who are dieting and/or doing intensive exercise (such as bodybuilders)
may need an extra multivitamin to aid recovery after workouts.

Limit Takeaways! This means no more McDonald's, Pizza and the good old fish and chips from the corner store. You should also limit the number of other takeaway meals such as chinese and indian foods as quite often these are cooked in oil also.

Keep a record of what you eat, the quantity and when you eat it daily.
Also record how you feel before and after each time you eat. Once you know how you respond
to certain foods, your attempt at contest dieting will be made easier. Keeping a track of the good, and the bad, in your diet will help you see what changes need to be made when it comes to taking competition seriously.

If you need further advice on your training and nutrition programme.
Please contact me and we'll get you started with your very own Super Body Programme!
Lisa