With warmer months right around the corner, many people (women in particularly) start thinking about how to get in tip top shape for tank top and swimsuit season.
Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your new regimen.
1) Incorporate strength training. A lot of people make the mistake of turning to cardio thinking this will help them lose weight....and then are confused by what actually happens....they start looking less "toned". Cardio will NOT, I repeat, will NOT create beautifully sculpted muscle tone. If your goal is to have sculpted arms and a toned tush, you MUST incorporate some sort of weight lifting. And no, I'm not talking about the kind that will "make you bulky"🤪 (different topic for a different day). There are plenty of exercises & workouts you can do from home if you don't have a gym membership. But, the important thing is to make sure you are consistent with this. I would suggest lifting 4-5 days a week. If you are a beginner, start with 3 days a week.
2) Get a good mix of food groups! Ever heard the term "counting macros"? There is a lot of confusion around this topic simply because everyone's body can respond differently to different things. To make it simple, "counting macros" is referring to the number of PROTEINS, CARBS, & FATS that are in your diet. Often times, with fad diets, they will completely eliminate one of these food groups. And then what happens once you STOP that fad diet? You gain all of that weight back, plus some. Right?! That's not sustainable. Period. Plus, that's what we refer to as "yo-yo dieting". It becomes very frustrating when you are constantly losing and gaining the same 10 lbs over & over again. But, counting macros creates flexibility for you and teaches you how to still be able to eat your favorite foods without feeling deprived or starved = a much more sustainable way to seeing results.
Need help figuring out your macros? Click here.
3) Stop viewing it as a program just to get you through to Summertime. Rather, focus on creating permanent lifestyle changes. That way, you can end the vicious cycle of starting a new program year after year.
