Image credit: @Angelo Pantazis via Unsplash
Looking to shed a few pounds before summer, or just feel more confident in your bathing suit? Today I’m going to teach you how to lose 10 pounds before summer without resorting to cleanses or fasting protocols.
As a sustainable weight loss expert, I am not typically a promoter of fast weight loss. But I know how motivating it can be to see those first few pounds drop right away. And so if you feel like you’re running short on time to reach your weight goal before summer, I want you to know how to do it in the healthiest way possible.
With a combination of simple diet, exercise, and lifestyle swaps, you’ll get that jumpstart you need to achieve the body confidence you’re looking for.
How to Lose 10 Pounds Before Summer
1. Ditch the alcohol
This is the #1 thing I tell my clients, and probably the least popular recommendation I can give. If you’re loving your chardonnay by the pool right now, this may be a hard one to swallow. But the truth is that Alcohol is not your friend if you’re trying to lose weight.
Not only is it high in sugar and calories, but it causes you to retain water, making it harder to lose weight. It also can affect your sleep which can lead to food cravings. Lastly, it can lower your inhibitions, making it harder to make good food choices in the moment.
2. Drink water before meals
Drinking a glass of water before meals (and throughout the day) can jumpstart quick weight loss. Many times when you think you’re hungry you may actually be thirsty, and drinking water first can significantly cut down on the amount of unnecessary calories you may be taking in.
And this is not just hearsay – there is research to back this up. One study in particular for example showed that those drinking a glass of water before meals lowered their calorie intake at the next meal.
3. Lose the salt shaker
Cutting back on salt can assist in your weight loss efforts. Too much salt from processed foods and the salt shaker causes bloat and water retention. Too much water weight makes you feel blah and can affect how you feel in a bathing suit.
Limit your salt intake by curbing your highly processed foods intake. Limit chips, pretzels, frozen dinners, canned foods, and fast food as much as possible, and minimize the amount of salt you add to your foods. Especially if your body is used to taking in a lot of salt, cutting back on it can make a huge difference in how you look and feel.
4. Get your HIIT on
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, works wonders for burning fat fast. If you’re currently active but are taking it easy, kicking it up a notch can burst your weight-loss capability. A common habit I see in my clients is that they do the same workout all the time but don’t push themself past their comfort zone.
HIIT exercises do just this, and involve short intervals of high-intensity exercises with short recovery times. These workouts keep your heart rate up and effectively burn fat in a short amount of time. So if you’re a busy mama like me or just want to maximize your workout time, HIIT exercises are the perfect choice.
Examples of HIIT exercises include a combination of jump squats, mountain climbers, planks, and burpees followed by short recovery sessions.
5. Up your veggies
I’m always excited when I see my clients adding vegetables to their routine. But veggies are especially helpful when it comes to weight loss. They are naturally low in calories and high in water and fiber content, making them a high-volume, weight-loss-friendly food.
This means you can have a large amount of them to fill you up, they are naturally filling, but will make it easier to stay in a calorie deficit. Add a cup of non-starchy veggies like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, or bell peppers to each meal to support faster weight loss.
6. Use smaller plates
This is a simple but hugely effective trick to naturally reducing your calorie intake! Swap your traditional dinner-sized plate for a smaller appetizer-sized plate for your meals.
You’ll be amazed at how much this simple swap makes a difference without you even realizing it. We truly eat with our eyes, and especially if you have the habit of cleaning your plate, this tip will be very helpful for you.
Image Credit: @Elena Leya via Unsplash
7. Keep it NEAT
No, I’m not talking about keeping your house neat and tidy! I’m referring to the “other” NEAT – which stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Don’t let the jargon confuse you – this is basically any form of exercise that is separate from your scheduled workouts.
Incorporating more NEAT activity throughout the day like taking more steps, cleaning, doing yard work, and taking the stairs all count towards your daily calorie burn. It’s not just about what you’re doing at the gym – your daily activity burns more calories than you think. So get yourself moving every 30 minutes and avoid sitting for too long as much as possible.
8. Prioritize protein
Crowd your plate with lean proteins like chicken breast, turkey, fish, tofu, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, beans and lentils. This is because protein enhances satiety, i.e. it keeps you full with less calories than the other 2 macronutrients – carbs and fats.
Make ¼ of your plate protein for every meal. It can also help to eat the protein first when possible, which may keep you full and reduce your intake of any higher-calorie food that is on your plate.
Adding protein is especially helpful at breakfast, where it can reduce cravings later in the day.
9. Get your beauty rest
Unfortunately, most of us don’t get the amount of sleep we really need. But getting quality sleep is essential for weight loss. I have seen many clients who are trying to do all the right things with their diet and exercise, but still struggle to see the scale budge if they’re not sleeping enough.
It’s not always easy, but you can prioritize sleep by slowly getting yourself into a better routine. Limit bright screens and technology one hour before bed, establish a relaxing routine like having herbal tea or reading a book, and setting a remind to go to bed by a certain time.
Is Fast Weight Loss Healthy?
Should you try to lose weight fast before summer or your upcoming trip, or is it unhealthy? As a Registered Dietitian I typically recommend my clients to lose 1-2 pounds a week. At this rate, it is possible to lose close to 10 pounds in a month.
If you are making big changes in your habits, you may expect to see a faster weight loss closer to 3-4 pounds per week. This is okay and nothing to be concerned about. Do know that if you’re losing at this rate or more, some of it may be water weight and not all fat loss. This is typically in the early stages of weight loss and not of concern.
For a healthy weight loss plan, the weight loss should start to slow down after 1-2 months. Everyone is a bit different here – but the most important thing is how you feel. Are you feeling energetic and satisfied, or hungry and run down? Your body will tell you if you’re being too restrictive, and if so it’s important to give yourself grace and focus more on how you feel rather than your weight.
How to Get Over Bathing Suit Anxiety
If you don’t lose the weight you’re hoping to lose in time or you feel you still have more to lose, that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up or shame yourself for it – weight loss is not always easy and sometimes there are barriers that you didn’t anticipate.
No matter where you are in your weight journey, here are a few ways to get over bathing suit anxiety and feel more confident this summer.
Repeat a positive mantra
A lot of how we feel in our body is based on our own beliefs. To change this narrative, all you have to do is flip the script. Repeat positive mantras to yourself on the regular such as “I am beautiful,” “I love my body,” or “I deserve to feel good in my body.” Keep repeating this to yourself until you truly believe it, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much it boosts your confidence.
Wear clothes that make you feel good
Sometimes you may strive to fit into an old pair of shorts, but right now it doesn’t feel comfortable to you. Keep in mind that clothes come in different styles, and your size may vary significantly depending on the brand.
Instead of forcing yourself to wear something that doesn’t feel good, choose clothes and bathing suits that boost your confidence.
Maybe there is a certain style of bathing suit that accentuates your favorite features, or a style of shorts that make you look in the mirror and say “I love how I look.” Keep more of those styles around and wear them often so you feel your most amazing self.
Do you enjoy going on social media, or does it leave you feeling worse about yourself every time? If you feel any sort of negativity when scrolling your feed, it’s time to do a social media “cleanse” if you will. I’m not a proponent of food cleanses, but this type of cleanse I can fully support!
See if anyone on your feed is making you feel bad about yourself – whether it’s something they’re doing or saying. It doesn’t matter if this is a friend or a complete stranger – you have the right to unfollow any accounts that are not serving you.
If this isn’t enough, it’s also okay to take a full break from social media until you feel in a better headspace to go back.
Feel Your Best This Summer
If you’re looking to learn how to lose 10 pounds before summer, these tips will give you that healthy jumpstart. Aside from just weight, you can feel your most confident when you take care of your body and mind. Focus on the habits rather than the scale, and the weight loss will simply come in time.
If you need support and motivation to start your weight loss journey, contact me for a free discovery call to see if my nutrition counseling program is a good fit for their needs.
