Fitness Tips

In case you haven’t noticed, summer will be here any minute and right about now, you’re probably panicking because those last pesky 10 or 20 pounds still haven’t melted off yet. Not to worry, we’ve compiled a list of helpful tips to whip you into shape just in time for summer.

1. Switch it up. So, you workout every day for at least a half hour right before you go to bed. That’s all fine and dandy, but if you really want to start seeing results, set your alarm that it goes off 30 minutes earlier than usual and go for a quick run or power walk before you go about your day. Working out early in the morning causes your body to burn more fat.

2. Stop skipping breakfast. You may think you’re doing yourself a favor by dashing out the front door on an empty stomach, but that’s where you’re wrong. When you skip out on meals, especially breakfast, your metabolism slows down, which makes the weight-loss process that much more difficult.

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3. Cut back on alcohol. I really hate to break it to you, but alcohol is loaded with empty calories and to make things worse, it slows down the fat-burning process. Who wants that when you’re trying to drop the lbs?

4. Eat before you hit the gym. Eating a little something before you work out helps you retain and build muscle.

5. Do not ignore hunger. When you start to feel those midday hunger pangs, go ahead and reach for a snack! And it doesn’t have to be a full meal – fruit, yogurt or a handful of almonds should do it. Actually, eating small meals throughout the day helps speed up your metabolism.

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6. Go raw. You can’t go wrong if your diet consists of mainly fruits, vegetables and complex carbs (beans, legumes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and quinoa). These foods are lower in calories but still fill you up for hours.

7. Get some sleep. Eight hours is ideal, but at the very least, you should be getting six hours every night. Anything less than that can sabotage your waistline because get this: Lack of sleep causes you to eat more and when you eat more, you tend to gain weight, right? The last time I checked, that would totally be defeating the purpose.