6 Rules to Rule This Summer

So I'm not saying you should get any skinnier or in shape, this is a post about my path to achieve the Bikini body I want.

I always struggled with weight management because I used to swim regularly then I went to high school and I stopped every physical activity so I added a lot of weight. It wasn't all bad, I got to have some new curves and with gym I went back in shape. But again, when I moved into the UK, with uni and my job I struggled to keep up a healthy lifestyle and gained some kg's. (And trust me in the UK is really hard to keep yourself away from sweets, candy and food that doesn't do any good to you).

This was on until a couple of months ago when I decided to get back on tracks.

After some research, advisement and self-motivation I came up with ''6 Rules'' to Rule this Summer.

1- DRINK A LOT OF GOOD FLUIDS

I'm talking mainly about water and for juice replacements try black coffee/americano (0 cal) or herbal teas (Green Tea, Rooibos, Fennel, Oolong or Melissa are my favorites). You should drink 2.5L daily so get use to always have a bottle of water near you and get hydrated! If you are a big fan of juices replace them for Tea based Juices like the Arizona juices, try to do your own flavored water just by adding some lemon slices or berries to your bottle of water. In the case of fizzy drinks, I personally don't like them so it was easy to banned them but if you do like them try to replace them for zero added sugars or zero calories versions. Also, try to leave alcohol on the side (I know it's hard but if you wanna see results you need to put some real effort into this).

2- GET TRACK ON YOUR CALORIES

I have an amazing calorie counter app on my phone called MyFitnessPal and so far it has made this all journey easier cause they offer barcode scan, a wide range of product search and all the calories/macros/percentage of fat, carbohydrates etc. Plus this app connects to your step counter and gives you the amount of calories you burn walking daily.

3- EXERCISE BUT GET YOUR REST AS WELL

You should try to workout at least 45min a day (general body workouts), four to five times a week if you don't have a lot of time at least try to go for a 30min run outside or just on the treadmill three times a week to keep those legs and bum toned. Note this is not extreme weight lost or fast, its meant to be a healthy and progressive journey. And with exercise comes rest and sleep to make sure your body it's getting in shape and restoring the energy at the same time without fasting or breaking down. You should get between 6 to 8 hours sleep a night.

4- PLAN YOUR MEALS

Either weekly or every 2 days, just plan and write down what you are going to eat so you don't end up eating fast food or lazy meals. I usually seat down on Sundays, write my meals down and cook them. This helps me tracking and balancing my calories and because I don't have to worry about cooking during the week, I can easily just grab my container and take it to work or uni.

5- DON'T CRAVE, SWAP AND ENJOY

I love eating so I'm always craving on food that is full of fat and calories like pizza, chocolate, candy, burgers, crisps and dips, etc. So, to reduce these cravings I swap them for healthier versions like

- instead of having a made from heaven Domino's Pizza I make my own Pizza Rice cakes;

- vegan burgers instead of beef ( also vegan burgers are full of flavor and new textures);

- chocolate rich in protein or 70% COCOA Dark Chocolate are the best options and because of the low sugar levels it's easier to stop and control the craving;

- there's so many types of crisps nowadays try to go for the vegetarian ones like beetroot, parsnip, sweet potato crips or even Hummus, Quinoa, Lentil or Kale snacks. These are so tasty and they come with different seasonings, you are deffo going to turn you into an addict;

6- HAVE FUN

This is supposed to be an healthy path not a strict one. Have fun while exercising with Zumba, Yoga,Boxing or Cycling, get creative and discover new recipes, see your personality grow and enjoy the ride while doing some good for your body and mind

Xx Mariana.