With the warmth of June just 12 weeks away, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how to get toned for summer. Yes, we’ve all been there – a week before vacation, suddenly realizing we want to feel reach our summer body goals so we look good in a tank top or a swimsuit. But, let’s be honest, last-minute fitness frenzies often leave us feeling exhausted and, frankly, not much different.
How to Get Toned for Summer A Week Before Vacation
I’ve done it too. I am a person just like everyone else. Before I became a nutrition coach and owned a gym, I would do all the things you do. Vacation is days around the corner and I’m sweating up a storm twice a day because I want to feel good in a tank top, dare I say a bikini on vacation.
I would stop eating sugar, carbs and you would have thought green was my favorite color. Not just because of all the salad I ate but from nausea at all the work I was doing in the gym.
All that work condensed over a short period of time didn’t do anything but encourage a cycle of Yo Yo dieting and fitness. While I might have lost a few pounds, that first drink on the beach or meal at lunch, left me bloated and gained everything back before my flight home.
I was causing my own issues, by only finding time for HUGE changes that lasted a couple weeks instead of small changes that last for life.
How to get toned for summer doesn’t start a week before vacation, it starts now.
12 Weeks Until June
Starting now gives you a realistic timeframe to make meaningful, lasting changes without the crash-and-burn of extreme measures. Here’s how you can tone up for vacation, starting today:
- Consistent, Balanced Workouts: Instead of hitting the gym non-stop a week before your trip, start with consistent, balanced workouts now. Mix strength training with cardio to build muscle and improve endurance. Remember, it’s not just about losing weight; it’s about a strong, toned body. Slow steady cardio – not fast intense cardio that adds stress to your body. A little consistency goes a long way.
- Nutrition: Your Secret Weapon: Cutting out all sugar and carbs at the last minute can lead to quick weight loss, but it’s often followed by rapid weight gain. Instead, focus on a balanced diet rich in proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. These nutrients support muscle growth and give you lasting energy. If nutrition feels overwhelming, start with JUST increasing your protein intake. Protein helps preserve muscle and prevents cravings but keeping you full. It is a huge super power macronutrient.
- Understand and Track Your : You don’t know what you don’t know. What are you eating now? You can guess but you’ll be wrong – I know I was. Studies have proven we underestimate by at least 30% of the calories we eat if we guess. Write down what you eat for 3 days – 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day and determine where you can make the simplest change that you can commit too consistently. If you decide to cut out sugar completely, all that will do is cause you to crave sugar or eat all the sugar this week to prepare for the “cut”. Losing body fat while preserving muscle is a science. It’s not just about the numbers on the scale. Two individuals can weigh the same but look entirely different based on their body fat percentage.
We want you to have the confidence in wearing those summer clothes, but we want you to do it in a way that actually works and doesn’t cause what little weight you might lose by rushing it. The weight will just return after you “quit” the exterme change. That is the definition of Yo Yo dieting, and we are too “old” to be playing with yoyos!
And remember, at NHF, we’re here to support you every step of the way, because we believe in helping everyBODY do things they never thought possible.
Like finally getting that summer toned body you have always wanted!
Set up a 10 minute call to chat with me about how to get started on that summer shred at NHF.