These realistic tips can help you pursue your goals and feel more confident this season.
Strength training can boost metabolism while helping to tone the body and strengthen the core. (Theodore Tae/The New York Times)
By yolanda harris – for AJC
18 hours ago
As the temperatures rise and sleeves get shorter, many people are looking for simple, affordable ways to feel stronger, leaner and more confident. While fad diets and weight loss programs promise fast results, the benefits are often short-lived.
If you’re looking to lose a few pounds this summer or get your arms tank-top ready, health experts recommend combining daily activity with healthy eating for lasting results. Small, consistent habits can lead to meaningful change.
setting realistic goals
Before you begin, set an outcome goal – what you hope to achieve. Then, pair it with a work goal, Outlining the habits and steps you will take along the way.
Experts say aiming for gradual progress rather than rapid changes is the healthiest way to lose weight. Setting realistic goals, such as targeting a loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week, allows you to focus on steady improvements without feeling overwhelmed.
Losing 10 pounds this summer is an achievable goal. Apart from its health benefits, it can also be a powerful motivator.
“Theoretically, 10 pounds is considered one size,” said Dr. Susan Blum, founder and director of Integrative Medicine Physicians. Blum Center for Health.
Here are seven tips to kickstart your summer body reset. Pick a few manageable habits and build from there.
1. Start the day with lemon water
atlanta personal trainer and Museum Fitness Owner Jocelyn Davis says it’s how you start the day that matters.
“Start your morning with warm lemon water to aid digestion,” she suggests.
Cleveland Clinic says Drinking lemon water in the morning increases your intake of vitamin C and antioxidants. It’s a great alternative to sugary drinks at any time of the day.
2. Prioritize protein at every meal
Throughout the day, prioritize protein-rich foods like eggs, lentils, wild-caught salmon, tuna, Greek yogurt or skinless chicken breast.
research shows High protein intake can support fat loss while preserving muscle, especially when combined with strength training. Fill your plate with vegetables — like broccoli, green beans, or spinach — protein and healthy fats.
“Results are made in the kitchen,” says Davis.
3. Incorporate intermittent fasting
intermittent fasting is an effective weight loss strategy that can lead to a 0.8%-13% reduction in baseline body weight over several months, According to the Canadian Family Physician Journal.
Common fasting methods include 16:8, where you fast for 16 hours and eat in an eight-hour period, such as 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Another option is the 5:2 approach, which involves fasting for two consecutive days outside the week.
4. Don’t skip strength training
strength training May boost metabolism while helping to tone the body and strengthen the core.
To accelerate muscle building and progress, try adding hand weights, 2-liter water bottles or weighted vests to walking and squatting. Exercises like squats, planks and lunges – which use your body weight as resistance – are also effective.
5. Reduce sugary drinks
Eliminating or reducing sugary beverages is a great way to see results sooner than you think.
studies show Reducing soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages may aid weight loss and help reduce weight gain. Replace fruit juices, sweetened teas and some sports drinks with fruit-infused waters, herbal teas or zero-sugar alternatives.
6. Walk daily and increase your speed
Walking briskly for 30 minutes a day reduces belly fat, increases calorie burn and improves heart health.
For more intensity, try interval running. Walk at your maximum speed for 60 seconds, then return to normal speed for 60 seconds. Increase duration over time.
7. If you have to cheat, do it in the middle of the week
Since many people are less active on the weekend, some experts recommend enjoying a treat in the middle of the week when discipline is higher.
“There’s nothing wrong with waiting until the weekend to have a cheat meal,” says Davis. She trains clients both in-person and virtually, and believes discipline is the foundation of lasting success.
“Discipline will follow you when motivation is not there.”
Personal trainers recommend eating four to five times a day, including two small snacks. To help you get started, she offers a simple three-day sample meal guide as a practical example of how to organize your routine:
- day 1:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal and eggs
- Breakfast 1: Greek Yogurt
- Lunch: Chicken Salad
- Snack 2: Almonds
- Dinner: Salmon and Broccoli
- Exercise: Walk for 20 minutes
- Day 2:
- Breakfast: Smoothie and eggs
- Breakfast 1: Carrots
- Lunch: Tuna Salad
- Breakfast 2: Greek Yogurt
- Dinner: Chicken and vegetables
- Exercise: Strength Circuit for 15 minutes
- Day 3:
- Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Bowl
- Breakfast 1: Boiled eggs
- Lunch: Chicken and Veggie Wrap
- Snack 2: Hummus
- Dinner: Cooked fish and vegetables
- Exercise: Stretch and Recover
Add olive oil, avocado, chia seeds or flax seeds to increase consumption of healthy fats.
