As the heat starts to sweep in and the bathing suits are broken out, here are a few helpful tips to keep yourself on track :-)
#1 Find a Gym
Whether you are living at home, on your internship, or you are exactly where you have been, no more excuses - - you need a gym. As it gets hotter, and stays hotter later in the day, your chances of exercising outside decrease exponentially. Look for a gym close by, ask for summer discounts, ask for monthly rates, and if all else fails, ask to speak to the manager. Explain your situation (especially if you are only residing in your location for a few months) and see if they can work out some kind of deal with you.
#1a If #1 Is Impossible
Start researching local running trails/hiking trails or even state parks close by. There are great websites like
run.com that list various routes that people have come up with in your area. Even if you don't run, getting out on a trail for a hike or a walk is great!
#2 Purge the Fridge
Now if you are anything like my family, summer ALWAYS means ice cream for dessert. Don't fall into bad habits this summer, whether its ice cream, hot dogs, cookies, fudgesicles - PURGE THAT FRIDGE. Start off fresh at the grocery store, but only what you need and nothing that will tempt you. Focus on lean proteins, green leafy veggies, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc.
#3 Put a Cap on that Happy Hour
Who doesn't love a nice cold beer outdoors on a patio in the middle of the summer? I certainly do! But its those every Thursday night happy hours that inhibit your ability to keep your work-in-progress summer body from moving forward. Beer is effectively liquid calories and when added to the necessary half-off appetizers, you can eat 1/3 of your daily calories before you even hit dinner! This certainly doesn't mean don't go to Happy Hour, just limit yourself to one beer, glass of wine (preferably red), or drink and make sure you ask for water with that drink, so you stay hydrated and keep yourself full.
#4 Sleep!
Just because it's summer, doesn't mean you get to stay up until 3am and wake up at 12 in the afternoon. Stick to a schedule (preferably a normal one) of 8 hours of sleep, at least during the week and go a little bit easier on yourself on the weekend.
#5 Stick to the Sunblock
We all know a sweet, toned body looks even better with a kiss of sunshine. Do not by any means make it your mission to get your "base tan" by burning the crap out of your body the first sunny day of the summer. Not only will working out be excruciating (believe me, I've been there), but your skin cells will thank you for not subjecting them to more UV rays than necessary. Every sunburn increases your chances significantly of cancer. Use a moisturizer that has sunblock during the week, and find yourself a nice 30 SPF sunblock for the weekends. Even if you are going out for a run early in the morning, put it on! Check out self-tanners and spray tanning if you are desperate for that unusually deep tan - - though chances are, you'll look fabulous with the natural tan you get with sunblock!
Now.....Bring it on Summer!
