Body Beautiful

Summertime means smoldering hot beach weather and the perfect opportunity to showcase and flaunt the body you’ve been working hard to tone. Staying in shape during this particular season so you can fit into that itsy bitsy bikini is a must on many women’s lists.

Check out these simple suggestions on how to stay in your best form year-round:


REPLICATE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR. Look at the behavior or habits that helped you get into your best form. What specific activities (along with the timing, intensity and frequency) did you do that were easy to incorporate into your daily routine? Did you pack your own nutritious, home-cooked lunch to school or work instead of resorting to greasy fast food meals? Did you find yourself doing your one-hour workout after office hours rather than in the morning or over lunch break? Remember what worked well and continue to do them even after the summer.


JUNK FOOD SUBSTITUTES. Thou shalt not deny thy cravings, especially in the beginning. You’ll only end up depriving yourself and prompt your body for some major withdrawal and bingeing. It helps to wean yourself slowly from your waterloo of unhealthy junk and comfort food and then eventually replace them with healthier yet equally filling and satisfying choices: trading a tart and sweet cup of frozen yogurt for X number of donuts or a serving of fresh fruits for slices of cake. Stick to your substitutes all year round.


PORTION CONTROL AND FOOD-TO-EXERCISE RATIO. The simple math behind weight management confirms that if you want to maintain your weight, the number of calories you take in should equal the number of calories you burn. Adding to this equation more exercise will help you lose more disposable weight and will tone and shape your body.


KEEP ON MOVIN’!. You need to keep active, even if the only things you can manage during the wet months are walking up a flight of stairs rather than taking the elevator or doing chores like washing the car, gardening, or picking up after the kids. With just these, you’re already killing two birds with one stone: doing what you need to and burning calories while you’re at it! Of course, emphasis is still given to proper and regular exercise (an hour a day or every other day). More and more physicians are walking their talk as they prescribe exercise as the best form of illness prevention; this way, you keep your body's cells healthy and disease-free (obesity included).


ADD VARIETY TO YOUR EXERCISE. Acknowledge, anticipate, and plan for moments of sloth, boredom, and de-motivation. When you feel these setting in and your discipline slips because, after all, summer’s over with and you have a full year to prepare for the next beach season, mix up and switch your exercise routine to shake it off. Explore alternatives outside of your village or gym’s facilities or club/village’s sports complex. Try out a new sport that doesn’t confine you to a small space or that allows you to socialize with new people, such as Ultimate Frisbee, mountain trekking, kite-flying, Gotcha!, even squash.


SET SMALL GOALS WITH THE BIG. Set small, doable goals all throughout the year that serve as your fitness checkpoints: look and feel good in a new dress for you upcoming birthday, your high school reunion, or even as forward-looking as the Christmas holidays. Is there a mountain climbing vacation you and your friends are planning for which you want to be physically confident enough to trek? Face it: by keeping those extra pounds off, you’re saving yourself from an up-and-down cycle of weight gain and loss. The next thing you know, next summer will have arrived, and you’re even fitter and more fabulous than ever.


REWARD YOURSELF. Acknowledge your successful arrival at each of these checkpoints by rewarding yourself—ideally, of course, not in the form of food rewards, but by treating yourself to small accessories, an appointment at the spa or salon, maybe a new pocket book, magazine, or gadget.


STAY COMMITTED. This is always easier said than done. Since we know the occasional slip-up is inevitable, here are some ways to stay committed to your vow of overall health:

Journalize. Writing down your daily nutritional and caloric intake and workout plan along with your feelings and thoughts may be a bit too obsessive, and this may not be convenient for everyone, but it’s a tried and tested tool to monitor your eating and exercise habits, uncover major fluctuations, and outline adjustments to be made.

Count and Celebrate the Benefits. List down all the perks of keeping your curvacious Body – how did your mind, body, and spirit feel when you were in your best form?

Buddy up. Seek the support of your girlfriend, significant other, sibling or kids to help keep you on track.

Make sure you’re on the lookout for tragic loopholes that cause fitness setbacks. Stay vigilant in your resolve, and even after your summer tan fades away, you’ll be able to maintain that same fit and healthy glow.