Top 5 Summer Shape Up Tips

Is your body summer ready? With just 6 weeks until Memorial Day, the official kickoff of summer events, it is time to get serious about looking (and feeling) your best this summer. So if you have ignored my advice all winter and sat on the couch eating your favorite comfort food, it is not too late for you to get summer ready now. I've been getting a few emails lately asking what's the quickest way to get in shape for a wedding, class reunion, etc, so I figured you guys would appreciate some Summer Shape Up Tips on the blog.

Top 5 Summer Shape Up Tips

1. Ditch the adult beverages.
Of course you all know that wine and beer will NOT help you get beach abs(they don't call it a beer belly for no reason) but what about your favorite coffee beverages. As the weather heats up, resist the temptation to grab those frozen lattes and fraps. Stick to non-caloric beverages and decline the ever so clever offer to add "breakfast" with your coffee from your local coffee shop. Since when did desert become breakfast? That offer is great for their bottom line but not so great for your waistline. Come on guys... you are smarter than that! Don't let them cheat you out of your slim summer body.

2. Add a protein shake or two to your meal plan instead of your typical "snacks".
Did you know that your body burns more calories when it digests protein than it does when it digests carbs and fat? It's true. So for an easy way to bump up your protein intake and turbo charge your metabolism, replace a snack or two (not more) a day with a protein shake. Don't just grab any protein powder you can get your hands on. There is a lot of junk out there. I recommend getting your protein from Prograde Nutrition. I am proud to be a partner with this company as they have some of the highest quality products I've used. Get your protein today at: http://greatshapefitclub.getprograde.com/protein-powder.html and try this delicious recipe to get summer ready now.

CONCITA'S SUNRISE SMOOTHIE
2 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Water
1 Scoop Protein Powder
8 frozen strawberries
1/2 cup ice

Add all ingredients to a blender, blend and enjoy.

3. Get moving now.

Did you really think I was going to suggest you could get in shape for the summer WITHOUT EXERCISE? No way! Sure there are plenty of diet programs and "medically supervised programs" that would like you to believe that there shake, pill, or even shot is the answer to your weight loss woes and that all you have to do is buy their product to get in shape but that is just NOT TRUE. Sure you can lose weight with mostly any product out there, but I can make you drop pounds guaranteed in a few seconds too... all I have to do is chop off your arm. Are you in? I didn't think so! The only way to get a trim, tight, body is to MOVE IT! You don't have to dedicate hours to working out. You can get a tight body in as little as 30 minute a day IF you are doing high intensity exercise that challenges your largest muscle groups at the correct intensity. Have no clue how to do this? No problem, show up for my BOOT CAMP SMACK DOWN CHALLENGE WORKOUT on April 17th. In only 30 minutes, you will get one of the best workouts of your life. It's only $15 and all proceeds go to Susan G Komen for the Cure - Dallas County Affiliate. CLICK HERE to email me to reserve your spot and get the details.

4. Get accountable.

You know how it is when you get started on a fitness program. Days 1 and 2 are great. Day 3 is challenging and sometimes you don't make it beyond day 3- especially if there is a dietary slip up or missed workout. Then you spend days 4-6 blowing off your plan and promising to start again NEXT MONDAY. This cycle repeats for a few weeks until you decide that you have "more important" things to focus on than being vain and losing weight and that right now the children, your church group or (fill in any other excuse here- you know them well) really just have you too busy to focus on fitness right now. Yeah right! That's called MAKING EXCUSES AND GIVING UP. So how can you keep going to make sure you get in shape for the summer this time? Get a trainer or a workout partner who will truly hold you accountable to sticking to your plan. Don't pick the friend that would never challenge you on what you said. Pick the person bold enough to call you out when you need it. Don't know anyone like that? CLICK HERE to email me to reserve your spot for a free 2-week boot camp membership starting April 26th. Don't delay. Orientation is April 17th.

5. Do the hard thing.

Don't stick to what you have "always done". Has the thing that you have always done gotten you and kept you in shape? Probably not so stop doing it! You don't need an hour every night to go for a walk or to put in your time on the treadmill to get in shape for the summer. You don't need to carry around a notebook or Iphone and dutifully track every calorie that goes in your mouth to make sure that you are under some MAGIC NUMBER that will get you in shape. Neither one of those things will get you beach ready so stop doing what is comfortable or familiar or even popular. STOP RIGHT NOW!

Instead of doing what everyone else is doing, do 20-30 minute of interval training cardio 3 times per week. Make sure it is hard. For an example, check out this video that I made a few months back when I started my personal "mommy makeover" (I know I'm not in top shape in this video - my son was born just a few weeks prior but you can see I was working darn hard at getting back to top shape - by the way...IT WORKD!). CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE CARDIO INTERVAL TRAINING VIDEO.

Do 20 minutes of strength training circuits 3 times per week. For an example of what types of moves you should be doing and the pace at which you should be working, CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF A BOOT CAMP STRENGTH TRAINING CIRCUIT.

Eat 4-6 small meals per day every 2-3 hours and make sure each meal has protein and produce. Don't eat anything that has added sugar and didn't grow out of the ground or have a face and a mother. It's that simple. Not fancy or popular, but it works.

Be sure to post a comment below and let me know what you think about my Top 5 Summer Shape Up Tips. If I get 50 comments, I will post a FREE SUMMER SHAPE UP WORKOUT just for you guys!