With spring right around the corner, you want to make sure you look your best. Here are some tips that will help you shed the winter weight and get your body bikini ready.
(From shape.com)
1. Eat nine servings of summer fruits and vegetables daily. Packed with vitamins A, C and E, phytochemicals, minerals, carbs and fiber, produce is healthy, filling, and naturally low in calories and fat. Enjoy it at meals, snacks and before/after exercise to stay full, feel energized and lose weight, says Seattle-based nutritionist Susan Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D.
2. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily to stay hydrated, maintain energy and lose weight — more if you exercise outdoors or strenuously, says Kleiner. “To build muscle and increase metabolism, you need to burn fat. And you can’t build muscle and burn fat if you’re not well hydrated,” she says. “Drinking plenty of water will help you feel full and keep you energized for exercise.”
3. Do at least 20 minutes of cardio four times a week. A short duration of high-intensity activity will elevate the heart rate for two to four hours, says Kevin Lewis, a certified personal trainer and owner of State of the Art Fitness in Woodland Hills, Calif. An hour of moderate hiking burns about 300 calories; an hour of moderate cycling, about 380. Or try a new sport (in-line skating, surfing) to break out and work muscles you don’t normally target.
