How to get in shape by summer

Some people have to lose 20 or more lbs, some people have to lose 5, and some people have nothing to lose, but definitely need to get toned. Whatever it is for you.. hopefully these tips will help....

1.) Ya gotta start now! Don't wait until May to say... "Oh, I have to be in shape before I go to the beach in June". That just won't work, and you will feel horrible about yourself.

2.) Exercise! Ughh.. you say??? Well, it's really easier than it sounds. If you are used to doing NOTHING, then take a 15 minute walk with your dog, or get on the treadmill for 10 minutes. It doesn't sound like much, but you will eventually start walking more, and isn't doing a little something better than doing nothing at all?

Also, get some small handheld weights. Do a few repetitions while you watch your favorite show. If you can't invest in weights, then use soup cans. Again, it's better than nothing.

Buy an exercise DVD and start off doing 5 minutes of it. Don't try to do the whole thing. It does nothing but leave you feeling like a failure. I've always been one to jump right in and try to do the entire DVD on the first day. I have learned that not only does that make my body so sore I can barely get out of bed the next day, but usually that's it for me... I don't even try again.

3.) Diet! This sounds horrible I know. But by diet, I don't mean invest in Jenny Craig, or Nutrisystem meals. I just mean monitor what goes in. If you are a chocolate lover, don't cut out chocolate completely, b/c then you will find yourself getting a pound of M&M's and eating them in one sitting. Just limit yourself to 10 M&M's a day, or 3 bites of that chocolate cake instead of the whole thing. I heard that you have to walk the entire length of a football field to burn off the calories of 1 M&M. That's crazy!

Another thing here is choose good foods. When we went to Italy, I was so amazed at all the fit people there. Not only do they walk instead of drive, but they eat good foods. They don't eat all of the processed foods we eat here in America. We had 4 course meals there, but it consisted of a healthy salad (no iceberg lettuce, no croutons or cheese, and only oil and vinegar dressing), a SMALL bowl of pasta, a meat and fresh vegetable, and a light dessert. Of course, the first thing I wanted when I got back to the States was a cheeseburger, but going over there truly did change how my family eats. It's sad that here in America, if you want to eat good, fresh, wholesome foods, you are going to pay for it. It's cheaper to eat at McDonald's and that's why we have so many obese people living here.

4.) Drink water! And I mean lots of it. This is probably the biggest one! Not only will it make your skin healthy, but it will help curb your appetite. I have 1 or 2 cups of coffee a day, and the ONLY other thing I drink is water. I keep a liter bottle beside me at all times; whether I'm sitting on the couch, driving somewhere, or at the mall.. I have that bottle with me. I have found that since I started drinking water, I can't even drink a soft drink. It tastes absolutely disgusting to me. You will be surprised just how much water you can drink if one is beside you all day.

5.) Eat at least 6 small meals a day and don't skip meals.. ever! I don't care what anyone says.. your stomach DOES shrink if you start eating smaller meals. Eating 6 small meals a day will actually help you. If you skip meals, your metabolism will slow down.. that's not what you want.

6.) Don't beat yourself up if you cheat. If you skip a week of exercise, then think nothing of it.. just get on the treadmill and forget all about it. We are human, and we are going to eat that whole piece of cake sometimes. It's ok, and it doesn't mean we have failed. 

7.) Per Laryssa's request, I am adding another tip... Start a food journal. My diabetes educators have always told me to do this. I'm not very good at it!!! I will start one and then after a couple of days, I'm done. Laryssa pointed out that there are online journals that you can use, and hey... I might even stick to it if I can do it online!! Here is one website that I found, but I haven't really looked it over, so although it advertises as being "free", make sure you read the entire thing first. It's www.fitday.com.

Sound easy??? No??? Ok, it isn't! BUT, it is definitely worth it!

Get started today and you will be bikini ready (or at least a cute one-piece ready) by the time beach season rolls around!

Good Luck!