12 steps to get in shape for bikini season

With summer now here you may be thinking that it’s too late to get ready for bikini season so why bother trying. Did you set a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight and not follow through? If so you may be wondering how to get your body ready for bikini season, and it’s not too late!
The good news is that you still have time to slim down to get into you favorite summer dress or bathing suit. There is even more good news; it’s not all about what you eat. The key to getting rid of some of that persistent belly fat consists of creating a new mindset that will allow you make the healthier choices to not only get you ready for this summer, but to help you achieve and maintain your ideal weight long after the summer has come and gone.
Follow these simple basic steps, and you WILL achieve amazing results. The steps may appear simple because they are: easy and simple to do and understand.
1. Attitude…what’s yours? Attitudes are generally positive or negative. A positive attitude toward weight loss, fitness and creating the lifestyle you desire will create success. Unlike personality, attitudes are expected to change as a function of experience, so to experience your desired weight, you must develop a positive attitude.
2. Persistence is key. To be successful at anything in your life, you need to be persistent. With weight loss, you must go on resolutely in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement, etc. Persistence is also needed in training yourself to stop the negative mind chatter that says you can’t do this; you must persist and not lose focus on the magnificent mind-body connection.
3. “Picture perfect.” Visualize yourself exactly as you wish to be. Create an image in your mind’s eye, or get pictures from a magazine and put them everywhere to remind yourself of how you want to look and feel at your ideal weight. This will help you to stay focused and committed to your goal. It’s of utmost importance to visualize a clear and specific goal you intend to manifest. Make certain you see yourself in detail from head to toe.
4. Get a support partner or group. Having a support partner is an easy way to stay focused and on track. It’s wonderful to have someone to share your achievements with and be accountable to. Together, you can keep one another on task, stay motivated and be creative as to how you intend to let go of your extra pounds. Another option is to join a support group or create your own Support Group.
5. Positive people make life easier. It’s important to surround yourself with positive people. Don’t hang out with people who always talk about losing weight but never take the action required to make it happen. Avoid negative people who bring you down with comments like. “You’ve tried this before, you can’t do it.” If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, hang out with people who’ve been successful at weight loss and who are living healthy and fit lives at their ideal weight; it will inspire you to do the same.
6. Water is always the best beverage choice. You cannot live without water! This is not something new in weight management, but it’s one thing so many people find difficult to maintain. Start slowly, day-by-day, increasing your water intake. If you drink two to four glasses per day, add one more until you’re drinking eight to 10 glasses. Drink herbal tea and add to your water a slice of lime or lemon with a pinch of sea salt for flavor and alkaline balance. Don’t drink your calories; save that for the food you eat.
7. Eat more. Yes, it’s recommended that you have balanced meals, mini-meals and snacks every three to four hours during the day, and stop eating about three hours before bedtime. Eat more often, and make a point of eating “whole foods” and those high in fiber. Also, chew your food slowly and mindfully at least 20 to times before swallowing as chewing is the beginning of the digestion process. Conscious eating is very important for reaching your ideal weight.
8. Advice…everyone has some. Take a look both physically and mentally at the people who give you advice before you take it to heart. A physically fit, healthy person with a positive attitude about life will most likely give you good advice, whereas a person who doesn’t “walk their talk” is not one you want to follow.
9. Variety is the spice of life. A variety of exercises makes physical activity more challenging, interesting and fun. Exercise is great for the heart, it makes the body feel strong and the skin glow, and it burns fat. Put some variety into your exercise program; often change it up. Doing the same boring exercises would make anyone want to quit; your goal is to make exercise fun.
10. Don’t give up. Every adventure begins with the first step. Remember to begin with small steps. One step at a time gets you to your destination, and that’s what permanent weight loss is about; it’s about the journey, the everyday activities that get you to the destination of your ideal weight. If you fall off track, go easy on yourself and get back on track with your next meal. This is a lifestyle change, not a quick diet fix.
11. Have patience. It’s required that you have the power and capacity to endure without resignation. When beginning anything new, especially a weight loss program, expecting immediate results will only set you up for long-term failure. Success will come with patience, staying present and visualizing the end result.
12. What’s going in your mouth? Is what you’re eating of benefit to your health and weight loss plans? Junk foods and foods laden with sugar and bad fats (yes, there are good fats) should be avoided when you’re planning to release and let go of unwanted pounds. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you do occasionally indulge, simply try to limit your intake of refined, non-foods.
So there you have it, 12 simple steps you can start to take to have the body you have always wanted. You don’t need to do them all at once, start with implementing one at a time and before you know it you’ll be ready for those cute summer dresses and a day at the beach!

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