7 TIPS TO GET YOU READY FOR BIKINI SEASON

7 TIPS TO GET YOU READY FOR BIKINI SEASON

You might think I’m crazy for bringing up bikinis in the middle of freezing January, but bikini season is right around the corner! So now is the perfect time to get those buns into shape so that you’re confident when it’s time to hit the beach, lake, pool, or vacation!

When I was younger I never had to worry about cottage cheese thighs or giggly buns, but these days it’s a battle… After years of not feeling confident in my own skin, I decided to set a goal to change my body and feel confident in a bikini again! After putting in the hard work, I know what it takes to get into shape and get that curvy bikini body, so here are my 7 tips to get you ready for bikini season:

1.      SET A GOAL = BIKINI SHOPPING
Bikini shopping is like a slap in the face… you see the prefect bikini and you picture how amazing you’re going to look in it, then you get it on, reality sets in, and you want to scream! And the lighting in the dressing room is ALWAYS horrible – showing every little dimple possible!  But, there is no better motivation than seeing yourself in a bikini, it’s like the ultimate reality check. So, pick the perfect bikini that you want to rock this summer and make it your mission to tighten up that body and wear it with confidence!

  2.       DRINK LOTS OF WATER
Drop all of the sugary drinks and replace them with water – you will be amazed what this tip alone will do. Women naturally carry extra water weight, but the more water you drink, the more water your body will flush out because it realizes that it doesn’t need to store water anymore because you are continuously hydrating yourself. I could go on and on about the benefits of water, but the way I think of it is that it’s helping to flush the extra water weight and gross toxins. I drink almost a gallon a day!

  3.       STAY AWAY FROM PROCESSED FOODS
Go through your house and get rid of all unhealthy foods – anything that you can find that has been processed (if the ingredient list has 10 items that you can’t pronounce, then that’s a sign it should be trashed) put them in the trash can, give them away, donate them – whatever you have to do to get them out of sight. Then, go to the grocery store and buy all fresh veggies, lean meats like turkey and chicken, and healthy carbs like brown rice and sweet potatoes.

4.       EAT A CLEAN MEAL EVERY 3-4 HOURS
Eat a small, clean, healthy meal every 3-4 hours. This will reset your metabolism. When you’re only eating 3 meals a day your body goes into starvation mode and holds extra fat, but if you’re constantly fueling your body with healthy foods, it will help you stay in fat burning mode all day.

5.       WATCH YOUR PORTION SIZE
Be sure to watch your portion sizes – you don’t want to be eating giant meals every 3-4 hours. Make sure to calculate your needed caloric intake, then divide it by the amount of meals you plan on eating during the day. For example, based on my stats (I am a small woman) I know I need about 1400-1600 calories a day and I eat about 5 meals a day, so each meal has around 300 calories.

6.       LIFT.LIFT.LIFT
Diet will help you lose some weight, but if you truly want to reshape your body – you have to LIFT WEIGHTS! I always avoided weights when I was younger because I didn’t want to look like a masculine, huge bodybuilder, but that’s not the case at all! Lifting will completely reshape, tighten and lift our best assets. I lift weights about 4-5 times a week and I don’t spend hours in the gym – I go in, lift 1-2 muscle groups, and I’m out in about 45 minutes to an hour.

7.       CARDIO
If you really want to drop some extra body fat, get in a 30 minute cardio session after you lift. But don’t overdo it with cardio. I used to think that the only way to get fit was to run, but I think it’s pretty pointless to run over 30 minutes because you will burn all of your muscle that you have been working on building. Your body will respond better to a 20-30 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training). I like to get on the treadmill, run as long as I can to get my heart rate up, and then slow it down to a fast walk to drop my heart rate, and then speed it back up again, and so on. This is one of the best ways to burn fat!

The magical equation is eating clean+drinking water+lifting weights+cardio=rocking bikini body. Remember, results won’t happen overnight, that’s why it’s important to get started now if you truly want to change your physique. You will be shocked at the changes you can make in 8-12 weeks!

Love,

Lauren

5 TIPS ON HOW TO BALANCE FAMILY & FITNESS

5 TIPS ON HOW TO BALANCE FAMILY & FITNESS
by: Lauren Felton

Having a family and living a healthy lifestyle is easy! What I’ve realized is that we just get caught up in unhealthy habits that are tough to break, but once you decide to make your health a priority, then it’s not difficult at all, it’s just part of your family’s daily routine.

The most common reaction I get from other busy moms is, “Wow, I don’t know how you have time to do it!” And believe me, I thought the same thing when I was “too busy” with work and a husband, but then along came two babies and things really got busy in my life! But in all reality, we only need about an hour a day to work out and the rest is making healthy food choices throughout the day – easy enough!

 By changing your lifestyle, you are not taking away from your family - you are giving them a life lesson on staying healthy! So here are 5 tips on how to balance family and fitness so that everyone is happy and healthy:

1. Stay Organized and Plan Ahead

Stay organized and plan ahead! This is the key to making your healthy lifestyle easy as can be! We all know things can get hectic during the week, so on Sundays I take a minute to think about what I have going on during the upcoming week. I always put my family and work activities on a calendar and then I fill in when I can work out, meal prep, etc. This will help you plan out how much you need to cook, what food you need to pack, what time of day to work out, and all other activities in between. Every week is different, for example, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings my daughter has swim lessons, so on those days I will go to the gym at 5am. Some days I will work out at home and other evenings the whole family will go to the gym.

And we all know that when you have a family, not all things go as planned, but DON’T STRESS! There will be days when you miss your alarm, have a sick baby at home, or are just truly exhausted – don’t even worry about it… Just stay on your healthy path and focus on the following day.

2. Replace Those Unhealthy Habits

If you are thinking about getting healthy, but don’t think you and the family have the time to do it, well think again. There are so many unhealthy activities that we partake in without even realizing it, because it has become a norm. Don’t let these unhealthy habits become the norm for your family – be a healthy example for your children. Here are a few healthy habits that will get you off to a good start:

ü  Start going to bed a little earlier so that your body and mind is rested.

ü  Get rid of all of the highly processed foods in your home and fill your shopping cart with healthy foods.

ü  Cook meals at home and bring them to work so that you’re not dining out or eating tons of fast food.

ü   Instead of grabbing a bag of potato chips and kicking your feet up after work, go throw on some tennis shoes and take the family for a walk, or to the gym. You may be tired after work, but believe it or not, working out will help relieve stress and give you more energy!

3. Get the Family Cookin’

Prepping meals for the week can be time consuming, but it is also the perfect time to get the family involved in a fun activity. My kids love to get their hands dirty in the kitchen and love to sample everything we make! I also like to take advantage of my hubby’s grilling skills, so when he’s grilling some Sunday Football lunch, I’ll have him toss on some extra food for the upcoming week.

4. Change Things Up

If we are training at the gym every evening, the kids get bored in the play area and start to get frustrated – that’s when I know it is time to change it up! Some days we will skip the gym and go on a bicycle ride, take a walk to the park, go swimming, or workout in the driveway while they play with their toys. My little ones love to copy my workouts, so if I’m training at home I try to get them involved!

5. Adult Time!

The week can get chaotic, but make sure you are taking some time to spend with your other half. I love working out with my husband and my favorite part of the day is our quiet time together after the kids are in bed. This is the perfect time for us to decompress from the day and have some much needed adult time.

These tips are sure to help you balance your busy family life and fitness goals. Just know that it is possible to stay happy and healthy, you just have to create a plan that works best for your family!