How get Summer Body Ready

Hey April, is that you?!?

When you mix a little of the pandemic weight with two holidays DURING the pandemic, you get a recipe for weight loss disaster. I am here in Florida (you know the place where it’s never really been a pandemic) and the streets are wide open, okay?!? The rest of the world has seemed to follow suit and the borders of many international countries are opening up. So you know what that means #vacaymode.

But if you are dealing with the aftermath of the concoction of a weight loss disaster I am here to help you get summertime fine!

Nutrition is Key

First things first, nutrition is key! You cannot get summer time abs if your diet consists of high amounts of fat, carbs, and salt. I know it sounds cliché, but I promise that if you focus on fine tuning your nutrition, your body will thank you in 6-8 weeks. Your nutrition has a direct correlation with your waistline/weight.

The more salt that you eat, the more water weight you will gain…

The more excess carbs that you eat that cannot be used by your body for energy, the more those excess calories will be stored as fat…

The more fat you eat, the more your weight and risk for chronic disease will increase.

So… if you don’t get a handle on your nutrition, it really doesn’t matter how hard you work in the gym you will be fighting an uphill battle that will lead to a lot of frustration. Why? Because finding time to get in a workout requires motivation, dedication, and sacrifice. One will only continue to show up if they see results or are motivated to continue on. A lack of motivation or results will put the brakes on your due diligence, quick fast and in a hurry.

If you have read my blogs before you know that in order to lose weight you must be in a caloric deficit meaning that you must burn more calories than you eat or eat less calories than you burn. Science has shown that because of this theory, a caloric deficit of 500 – 1000 kcal a day can lead to weight loss. Your caloric deficit is heavenly driven by your calories. So ensuring that you eat the proper amount of calories to keep you energized, without depriving yourself of the energy you need throughout the day is key.

Finding this healthy balance between being energized and deprivation can be difficult. You first want to start by knowing how many calories you need to eat daily to either maintain or lose weight. Once you know that, you’ll then need to track everything that you eat to be sure that you stay within that calorie goal. Also, be sure to keep your sodium well under 2400 mg a day to reduce your chance of water weight gain- a lot of times people neglect tracking their sodium intake and wonder why their weight is stagnant. Out of all the things, sodium is one of the most shocking things my clients discover when they first start to track their food. They are so blown away by the amount of salt that is in our food and just how much they’d been consuming subconsciously. Now if want to learn a little bit more about nutrition, download my FREE “Built Body Goals” now so you can get started with your Summer Body!

Adding Resistance to your Routine

We have naturally been conditioned, especially as women, that if we must lose weight we must hit the cardio machine, run 3-5 miles a day, or walk. Now cardio is exceptionally important for your cardiovascular health, HOWEVER this cannot be your go all, be all.

And let me just say… I truly do get it!

I ran from the weights too not to long ago. Here you have me on my honeymoon looking slim and trim, however you also see me 3 years later, 2-years postpartum after my first C-section pregnancy still slim, trim, but I now looked toned and defined. The biggest difference between the two was that I added weights to my routine, and not just no 5-10 lbs. I lifted as heavy as I could!

So Sis, don’t run from the weights. Become one with the weight at least 2-3 days a week to tap into not just weight loss, but fat loss. Fat loss is how you get toned, lean muscle that give you the defined look that you’re looking for. Let me let you in on a little science, with every strength training workout that you do you can burn not only calories, but fat as well. And best of all, because strength training is an anaerobic exercise you will continue to burn up to 36 hours AFTER your workout?!? How insane is that?!?!

So sis, don’t skip the weights, add them. And if you are anything like me and have absolutely no idea what to do for a workout, download my FREE “Built Body Goals” to get two FREE workouts that you can do right from the comfort of your home.

Start Small, Slow, and Steady

There is no rush! Let me repeat, there is no rush to lose weight. I know that is a hard pill to swallow, and one I have had to swallow on many occasions. But I am a true believer of this theory that the faster you lose weight, the faster your weight will come back on. Why, I truly believe that when people rush weight loss they do not give themselves enough time to learn the art of what they are doing and how it works for them. Half the time, people are using someone else’s weight loss protocol that works for the masses and not for them. And burn out quickly. Simply because they’re eating foods that they hate and are on strenuous workout protocols that leave them exhausted. No Bueno.

When you take it slow you learn as you grow, and the value comes in the lessons that you learn through that growth. Failure is a part of the process! Let me repeat, FAILURE is a part of the process. So going into it knowing this will help you overcome challenges when they come.

Also, because failure is a part of the process, you gotta start small. Don’t go changing a million things at one time! Start with what you know and progress from there. Perfect the quality and quantity of foods that you are familiar with, unless it’s a bunch of junk/fast food, and go from there.

When you change too many things, too quickly your brain and mindset cannot keep up with such rapid changes. Because you completely shift from what is familiar to a place that is completely uncomfortable, not just for you physically, but sometimes emotionally/mentally. I mean think back to the last diet you were on and how many times within a day you remember mentally battling with yourself to eat the food or not to eat the food, if this was a right choice or if it wasn’t, and going back and forth about whether to work out or not to, and the list goes on… Your mind takes a toll, and when you fall short so do your emotions. So spare yourself the headache and take it slow, steady, and start small. Small will grow to big, and it will be more sustainable long term, even after this post-COVID Hot Girl Summer 🙂

Now if you are sitting here like, Dr. Tamara, this is amazing, but I am still stuck. Go ahead and download my FREE “Built Body Goals” Guide. In this guide I walk you through how to truly build your body from the inside out. I give you a little more incite on nutrition, exercise, and food labels. I even include a workout and a recipe from my Planned Eats membership. Click here to download my FREE Body Built Guide.

Click here to join my next round of group coaching! I will help you create a plan that is especially right for YOU! In just 8 weeks, I guide you through the decision making of food to help you learn how to improve your diet with the foods you already love, plus teach you how to optimize your workouts to burn fat with less time in the gym, and to truly learn to juggle life while finding time for yourself. Click here to sign up!