Burning off your vacation fat

You’ve enjoyed your summer holiday and the hustle and bustle of September. As you brag to your friends about the resort you stayed at in Maui, the fresh ocean water and the insanely delicious food, you’re secretly adjusting that top button of your jeans because your pants feel a little snug. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably packed on a few pounds over the summer. There’s no reason to worry, follow these easy tips and you’ll be back on track at your pre-vacation weight in no time.

 

by Am Sahota, Elite Fitness

Face reality

The only way to truly know how much damage you’ve done is to face reality and step on the scale. The numbers you’re facing should get you back in gear quickly, so use that motivation to return to your workout routine.

Take your time

Your bathing suit is packed away so don’t be in a rush to shed those extra vacation pounds. If you worry too much about how long it will take to lose the extra pounds, you’ll fall off your fitness bandwagon. Slow and steady wins the fat loss race. Remember that most men need to follow a fitness and diet regime for at least two months to see results and women need a little bit longer at three to four months.

Get back into your fitness routine

Ease your way back into your regular fitness routine if you totally slacked off this summer. If you were just taking it easy over the summer but continued somewhat of a routine, step it up and get back into your regular fitness routine. If you don’t have a regular fitness routine, find ways to fit in extra activity while you’re at it. Take your dog out for a walk, take a hike, walk your kids to school, use your imagination.

Find a fitness buddy

Having a motivating exercise partner can help increase the chance that you will reach your fitness goals. If you don’t like working out with a friend, get a personal trainer who can provide encouragement and motivation, monitor your progress, and making exercising more fun. If the cost of a personal trainer is too steep, join a group fitness class or see if your gym has any specials on fall fitness classes.

Clean up your diet

Prepare your own meals at home and return to your DIY routine. Each meal you don’t prepare yourself usually packages an obscene amount of calories. Go to the grocery store and avoid the inner aisles where the processed food is found. And remember, one pound of fresh spinach has the same number of calories of a single Oreo cookie – choose wisely, go for low caloric intake and eat proteins earlier in the day to keep you full.

Stay fueled

Don’t stay too hungry throughout the day, or come dinnertime you’ll be starving and will plow through food like the apocalypse is imminent. Stay properly fueled throughout the day, eat a moderate dinner, and stop eating. Going to bed a little hungry isn’t a bad thing because overnight your appetite resets and you start off with a clean slate of eating the next morning.

Don’t drink empty calories

Alcohol, soft drinks and fruit juices with added sugar are empty calories, and have zero nutritional value. Your body can’t store alcohol so it must be metabolized right away. When you drink alcohol, your body makes metabolizing it a priority over all other metabolic processes. Not only does alcohol not contain any nutrients of its own, but it can impair your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and vitamins from the food you eat. Cut soft drinks and fruit juices from your diet and you will see a difference in how your body looks. Soda, even diet soda, can make you feel hungrier because artificial sweeteners signal the brain to crave additional food. Stick to water and if you need a little something extra to jazz up the flavor, add a few lemon slices, mint and cucumber for a refreshing twist.