So
you will be hitting the beach soon and you want to look your best right? Well
what follows is the 22 must have tips to use, to make sure you not only achieve
that much desired bikini body look, but that you also enjoy yourself while
getting it.
Eat
Healthy Carbohydrates. Instead of stocking up on carb dense
foods like bread, pasta, cookies or tucking into that pizza or lasagne, why
don't you try healthier alternatives,. Try fruits and vegetables; legumes,
berries, nuts, cauliflower, kale and spinach which are fiber filled and are
more slowly absorbed into the blood stream and good for your digestive system.
Besides that it should be noted that since wheat makes you hold water, it tends
to bloat you, thereby making you gassier and increasing your cravings.
Avoid
high calorie snacks. Once again the idea here is to stick with
fruits and vegetables. Stay off the sweets, regular chocolates, cookies. These
will only lead you to pile on the bulk.
Don't
be a Couch Potato. Yes it can be tempting to dump yourself in
front of the TV after a hard days work. We all like to tune into the latest
instalment of "Game of Thrones" or the newest "seasons"
craze being offered by our local TV network. Yet as always moderation is the
key so don't make it a habit. According to experts the most successful dieters
don't watch up to the adult average of four hours per day. In fact they average
less than 10 hours per week. An interesting corollary to that is the results of
a 2007 Yale University study which found that TV viewers who saw snack
commercials were regardless of whether they were hungry or not, influenced to
eat just about anything. Obviously not okay if you are trying to lose weight
and obtain that Bikini Beach ready figure.
Drink
Cold Water. Ice cold water has been proven to do wonders for
dieters. It was found that drinking it actually burns between 17 and 25
calories per glass. How come? As the liquid spreads through your system, the
body warms it to its temperature burning off calories in the process.
Get
enough Shut-eye. Studies show that getting between six to
eight hours of sleep a night is essential to beat off weight gain. It was found
that subjects who got less sleep tended to put on more weight over time than
those who got adequate amounts. The science here is that when you don't get
enough sleep, levels of the hormone leptin an appetite suppressant falls,
whilst that of ghrelin, an appetite stimulant rises. As a result you feel
hungrier, would tend to eat more and conversely add on weight.
Avoid
Coffee, drink green tea. Yes we all love our morning coffee,
but believe me if you are looking to lose weight and get in that bikini body
mode, you had better give coffee at least for the present a wide berth. This is
because it increases hunger cravings which means that in the long run you may
end up eating more than you ordinarily would. Instead opt for green tea. It is
a powerful diuretic and anti-oxidant which can actually help you in detoxifying
your body. Three to four cups a day should do it.
Exercise.
Yes, exercise. You won't get much further without it. Though there are varied
work outs you can go for. For example Jen Ferrugia'S Bikini Body Workout
program contains an excellent structured program plus diet plan that will get
you into shape in no time, there are equally specific exercises pieces highly
recommended to fix your abs, perk your butt and generally get you toned.
Although
crunches are the most popular form of abs fixing exercise on now, some have
suggested that it is potentially hazardous because it can damage your spinal
disks since its movement pivots from the spine. On the other hand, though sit
ups tend to be harder, taking more effort and engaging more muscle groups, and
though not free from its own constraints, since its movement generally pivots
from the waist- it is not damaging of spinal disks. My personal recommendation
then would be sit ups.
Cardio
or aerobics is very important too. Recommendation is that you do 30 minutes of
cardio 3-5 times a week. You can check out Jens Bikini Body Work out for more
Bikini Body exercises.
Perk
up your butt. How to do this. There are plenty of
exercises that can help you with scoring a perkier butt. Amongst them are
squats and lunges. Doing 11 to 15 repetitions of these will get your butt
firming up in no time.
Tone
up your arms. Push ups will help you get this done in no
time. Make sure you do this properly though. Your shoulders and neck should be
relaxed while your stomach is taut; your hands should be directly under your
shoulders and lined up with your chest.
Add
outdoor exercise to your schedule. We've already talked about
exercise so why am I bringing it up again. Good question. Before we spoke about
exercise in general, but now... we take it outside. There's really no way to
measure how just being outside in the natural environment can help you. A brisk
stroll, a quick jog through the park- it will lift your spirits and improve
your mood, getting your endorphins up whilst helping to stave off your cravings.
Red
wine please, no beer for now. If you must drink, go for
the healthier alcohol - vino tinto. Red wine is not only good for your heart,
it has also been shown to impact less on the waist line than does beer. Even
more impressive, in a study carried out at Brigham and Women's hospital Boston,
it was found that participants who drank one or two glasses per day over the
course of 13 years gained less weight than non-drinkers.
Anti-cellulite
Cream anyone? Okay, so the visible results may not last
for more than 24 hours. Nevertheless using anti-cellulite cream can in the
short term reduce dimples. This no doubt will leave you looking better when you
step out in that much wanted bikini piece.
Detox
sensibly. Detoxifying your system every once in a while is not a
bad idea. I do a light detox once every week although it doesn't have to be
that frequent. According to nutrition specialist Oz Garcia, doing a program
like Blueprint Cleanse or Organic Avenue which offer three day juice fasts is a
safe and healthy way to detox. It is important here to graduate into and out of
it. Each time -say one to three days before and after stick with easy to digest
foods whilst avoiding sugary, alcoholic, artificially flavoured, processed and
caffeinated foods.
Don't
imbibe others food habits. That didn't come out smoothly did it?
What I mean is that when eating out socially- out with a friend, at a party or
buffet etc., we should be careful not to unconsciously take on the food sizes
of the person we are with.
It
has been found that eating habits are influenced by those we eat with. As a
result weight gain is socially transmissible. For example in a social
gathering, sitting next to a gutsy eater could likely result in you eating more
than you ordinarily would. To reduce this risk, you can start the meal with a
low calorie appetizer which research shows will influence you to eat fewer
calories during the main course.
Nosh
up the Proteins. Apart from being essential for building
muscles, proteins also have a high TEF (thermodynamic effect of Food). What is
that? Well every time we eat, our body expends energy in breaking down the food
during digestion. Whereas fats use 2-3% and carbohydrates 10% calories during
digestion, proteins on the other hand weigh in at a staggering 20- 30% for
calorie usage.
Essentially
what this means is that eating 100 calories of these foods will translate in
actuality to 97 calories for fat, 90 calories for carbohydrates but up to 70
calories for proteins. If losing weight and getting taut and firm is the aim,
then taking up less calories is not a bad move to make. Just make sure you do
it sensibly though and you don't go overboard and eliminate the other food
groups.
Indulge
yourself a little. Going the whole hog and insisting on a no
fat, no sugar diet may be commendable, but really how many of us are that
disciplined. Attempting to stick to this strict regime may in the end be
counter-productive as you set yourself up for cognitive dissonance. And the
fallout of that will not be pretty. Here, with one part of your mind saying no
and the other rooting yes, and having held out for so long, what could
ultimately happen is you caving in and snowballing into a massive food binge.
Instead
of that, wouldn't it be much better to just treat yourself to a cookie or a
piece of chocolate? In addition, that small treat you have given yourself may
just in the long run motivate you to stick with the program and intensify your
work outs.
Don't
forget your essential fats. Intake of essential fatty acids
commonly found in fish but also be found in flaxseeds and walnuts and is a must
if you are looking to lose body fat. 6 grams a day has been recommended here.
However since it is pretty hard to consume this strictly from food alone the
use of food supplements is a viable option.
Reduce
stress. Stress raises cortisol levels in the body. This in some
people may stimulate the storage of abdominal fat. Avoiding stress therefore
will aid you in reducing fat. Ways to do this is include massages, a nice warm
bath before bed or taking a yoga class.
Moisturize.
It's not just about getting the right shape. How the skin that covers that
shape looks, matters too. Does your skin look dull and weathered or does it
look radiant and made for the sunny weather? You can improve the look of your
skin simply by exfoliating and applying a good moisturizing cream once a week.
Getting your skin looking good is guaranteed to get heads turning whilst
undermining your perceived body flaws whether true or not.
Add
some high intensity intervals to your training. If
weight loss is the aim because you want to lose some fat, then the addition of
some high intensity intervals to your cardio routine is the way to go. Research
shows that these are more effective in burning body fat than less intense
cardio exercise even where that exercise lasts longer.
Say
no to Horizontal stripes. These will only make you look wider
than you really are. Since this is one thing most people want to avoid, choose
your bathing suits with care and avoid those with horizontal stripes. In
addition, also take care to avoid drawing attention to areas of your body you'd
rather de-emphasize. As such tassels or anything that straps around these areas
should be avoided.
Make
your breakfasts protein rich. Breakfast they say is the
most important meal of the day, and skipping it can spell disaster for not only
your morning energy levels but also your performance for the day. As such, if
your aim is a trimmer beach ready figure, not only should you avoid skipping
breakfast, you should in fact also be aware that not just any breakfast combo
will do. Indeed research shows that a protein rich breakfast is more helpful in
fast tracking weight loss than does a cardohydrate one.
In
that eight week study carried out by Pennington Biomedical Center of Louisiana
State University System, it was found that participants who had eggs and toast
for breakfast as against bagel and cream cheese enjoyed an 83 percent extra
reduction of their waist size than those on the bagel medley.
This
is no surprise if we take our minds back to the Thermodynamic effect of Food
scores for protein, carbohydrates and fats. Here it was found that the body
actually burned more calories in digesting proteins than did it for other food
groups.
When
the Summer season swings round, you know its time to rummage in the wardrobe
for or go out to buy that new bikini. You also know that you might have to shed
a few pounds and perk up here and there in order to well fit it. Thankfully,
there is a handful of workouts and guides out there touting the perfect method
to bikini shape you in the shortest space of time. But they cant all be right
can they? Having studied a dozen of them with my better half who was looking to
get into Bikini shape, post the better part of a year of living it up; and she
having spectacularly achieved it, I can definitely say that I have come away
with some key insights into how it is and can be most efficiently done. For
more info and tips on how to get that perfect bikini body, visit
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