Getting in your best shape doesn’t have to be about hitting the gym and working up a big sweat.
I believe fitness starts with a positive mindset and using lifestyle habits and persistence to help you succeed.
The below tips are the real strategies I use to help me feel my best, and although I don’t think any of us should ever put the pressure on ourselves to be perfect, we can build the habit of pushing ourselves to do our best 😊
Here are 12 tips to get in amazing shape for the summer:
1. Get Quality Sleep
It’s extremely easy to mistake being tired for being hungry. When I worked in the corporate world, there were a lot of late weeknights. Trust me when I tell you those late nights rarely equaled healthy menu options the next day. The struggle was real! By the afternoon, I always felt I needed greasy food to keep me going.
On the days you feel sluggish, you will probably find it easier to go for the unhealthier option instead of grabbing a salad or something nutritious. To alleviate this problem altogether, make sure that you get quality sleep the night before.
It’s common for us to think that a nap on the weekend can help us catch up, but don’t count on this as a strategy. Do your best throughout the week to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.
2. If You Fail, It Doesn’t Matter, Keep Going
It doesn’t matter how many times you fail on your path to getting fit and feeling your best.
What matters the most is getting yourself back on track and moving forward.
When we fail, we will sometimes throw in the towel and think okay, I tried, and that’s that. But to see your goals through, you have to be willing to fail and then pick yourself back up. Things will get complicated, but be willing to push through the chaos—you’re worth it!
3. Get To Know What’s Hanging Around Your Kitchen
I think it’s a good idea to do a deep dive, sort of like an inventory of the items in your kitchen from time to time. Evaluate the snacks and foods you have on hand.
Although most of us are not dietitians or experts in the food industry, we often know what a healthy snack is verse foods that are not so good for you. Ask yourself questions such as:
Are there any items I can swap out for better options?
Do my junk food/processed items outweigh my fruits and vegetables?
Do many of the food items I have on hand contain a lot of sugar?
Are my junk food items too accessible? Meaning, can you put them in a cupboard that isn’t as convenient to access?
I believe how we look and feel always starts in the kitchen. A lot of your progress on the scale will mostly be about what’s in your kitchen. This is a significant step to be mindful of. The bottom line is you can’t outrun terrible food.
4. Aim For A Variety Of Workouts If You Get Bored Easily
Doing the same exercise every day can become incredibly dull. I think many of us avoid working out altogether because it can seem like you’re living your workout routine on a hamster wheel.
Instead, there needs to be some creativity involved. I don’t believe that your exercise needs to look the same throughout the week. Instead, you can go for a long walk at the park with a friend, sign up for a fun Yoga or Zumba class, go hiking, go biking, find a fun YouTube that gets you motivated, or play outside with your kids.
I believe that most of us will find that when we implement a variety of activities throughout our week, it will become more of a lifestyle, rather than assuming we need to spend countless hours doing the same thing.
5. Do Mini-movements
When you don’t have a large chunk of time in the day to get an entire workout in, many of us will claim that we don’t have time to work out. Let me introduce you to mini movements if you aren’t already aware.
A big misconception is that some of us believe we have to work out strenuously for 30 minutes to an hour all in the same session.
Instead, if you are finding it challenging to carve out large chunks of time, what you can do is many mini movements throughout the day.
For example, do ten push-ups in the morning. After lunch, go for a 10-minute walk. Before bed, do some squats. In some way, shape, or form, you are still showing up for yourself and are still committed to thinking about moving your body. Remember, some exercise is better than no exercise.
6. Rethink Your Plate And Portion Sizes
Want to hear something wild?
Dinner plates have increased in size by an average of almost 23%. They are now 11.8 inches vs. 9.6 inches since 1900.
What does this tell us? I think our society tries to push this idea that more is better.
Our brains get confused when we see a really large dinner plate, and most of us probably feel that in some sense we need to fill it up.
Yet, I think we can do a couple of things to solve this problem.
Aside from purchasing new dinner plates, we can take the time to be more conscious about the portion that we’re putting on our plates. A larger plate does not have to equal larger portions.
Another tip I use for myself is when I am out to eat, I rarely eat an entire entrée myself. From the beginning, my plan is to enjoy half the portion and take the remainder home. Or, my fiancé and I decide on an entrée together, and the waitstaff serves two different portions for each of us.
7. Stop Saying You Will Do It Tomorrow
How often do you say that you will get to it tomorrow?
Here’s the thing, all those tomorrows add up and come back to bite you.
You are not only creating this idea that you will get to it, which is procrastination, but at the same time, you are hurting your progress overall because it is now becoming a habit.
When it comes to change, you have to be willing to hold yourself accountable.
I get it; life happens. At the end of a hectic day, we rarely get to everything we wanted to do for the day; however, if you have time to scroll through social media or watch television, you have time to work out.
Today is the day! 😊
8. Don’t Let The Scale Scare You
While you will want to track your progress, don’t let the number on the scale be the end-all. Trying to tell yourself that you will need to lose 20 pounds is overwhelming for anyone.
You don’t need to worry about 20 pounds; you only need to worry about making the next best choice.
Aside from the number on the scale, I think it’s also essential to focus on how you feel and your energy levels. Other factors need to be considered other than just the number on the scale.
9. Aim To Consume Many Foods In Their Natural State
This is a huge mindset focus for my food consumption. Although I am not a perfect eater, I try to continually return to this idea of consuming the majority of what I eat in its natural state.
This paves the way for many fruits and vegetables. It then gives you the option of other items such as almonds, chia seeds, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds.
Aside from eating foods in their natural state, if you can focus on many of your items being a “one ingredient” item, it will be much easier to reach your fitness goals. This idea will also help you immediately shy away from processed foods.
10. If Going To The Gym Is Too Much, Do This Instead
Remember, you don’t have to go to the gym to reach your fitness goals.
All you need is a few workout essentials that you can count on.
The key is to put your workout items where you will see them. I usually keep my weights out in the open (unless I have company coming over.)
You can create a fun experience at home with some workout bands or ankle weights. These fitness items are very simple to use and can easily be thrown on while watching a movie with your family or when you first wake up in the morning.
Make working out seamlessly fit into your routine, so it becomes a lifestyle, not a nagging wannabe habit hanging over you all the time.
Check out my article below with some of my favorite workout items to keep on hand.
10 Perfect Workout Essentials for An Inexpensive At-Home Gym
11. Slow Down While You Are Eating
Many experts tell us that it can take 20 minutes to feel full. That’s why slowing down while you eat is a good idea. It will give your brain a chance to catch up.
Eating slower is also in our best interest because digestion begins in the mouth.
Be mindful when you consume your food and when you start to feel full, don’t overdo it. I have been known to take a small amount to go when I am out to eat so I don’t feel like I have to finish what’s on my plate (and also because I hate wasting food.)
12. If You Aren’t Hungry, Be Mindful About Why You Are Eating
Food can be so delicious that we often depend on it for other reasons than nutrition and doing what’s best for our bodies. Before grabbing a pastry, candy bar, or unhealthy snack, check-in with yourself. Is it that you’re:
Tired?
Bored?
It’s there in front of you?
Everyone else is doing it?
Bringing awareness as to why you are eating when you’re not hungry can help you further understand yourself and how to alleviate the situation. For example, if you eat when you’re bored at work, could you get up from your desk and walk around if you’re at work or instead grab a chilled glass of water with lemon?
If you are eating to cope with some challenges in life, speak with your doctor and get the support you need. We all need some help from time to time, and it is nothing to get down on yourself for.
Do you have other tips that have helped inspire you get in amazing shape? I would love to hear.
If you found this article helpful, check out my other articles below on fitness, mindset, and habits.
12 Boss Babe Habits That Will Instantly Make You Successful
7 Ways To Stay Motivated When Your Goals Aren’t Happening
35 Productive Habits To Be More Successful This Year
Come join my community and download my FREE Ebook, Wildly Inspired where I share 21 ways to help keep you motivated 🙂
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