Wanna Be Ready For The Beach? Now Is The Right Time To Start!

I felt that this weekend was just the right time for a motivational post. Especially because I talked about this with a friend of mine last night. In a hopeless effort to try to convince him to sign up for a gym membership and start exercising I told him: “Do you really want to do like you did last year and stay at the beach with your t-shirt on? Or just not come to the beach at all?” Last summer he was very self-conscious about his body (to the point that he would rather not come to the beach at all because of it) I used the summer/beach excuse as a way to try to get him back on the right track...and considering that he just texted me about it, I might just have succeeded.
I’m pretty aware that talking right now about the beach might seem awkward. I mean, outside it’s still freezing cold, we get inches of snow every other day and with the summer still six months away flip-flops, short, bikini, suntan and the like are just a distant thought.
However, if you want to be the ready for the beach, this is the right time to start!

Losing weight

If you’re interested in losing weight the good news is that if you plan ahead of time you can be sure to step onto the beach in perfect shape.
A lot of people claim that 8 to 10 weeks are more then enough to shape up. However, it all depends of your where you’re at now and where you want to go. In 8 weeks an average person can hope to lose at the most 16 pounds but that’s a pretty aggressive weight-loss goal.
The consensus among experts is that losing 1 pound per week is the safest and most doable approach.
The rule of thumb is that losing too much weight too fast could be detrimental to your goals, you will lose not only fat but also muscle (and you don’t want to look to flabby!)
Severely restricting your diet (for instance 500 calories a day) will send your body into starvation mode and you don’t want to do that because when it enters starvation mode, your metabolism slows down (as your body try to keep as much fuel as possible) and losing fat suddenly becomes really hard.
That’s why you need to start now because it’s a long process that requires a lot of discipline and commitment.
Doing cardio activity half an hour to an hour, five days a week, is optimal for weight loss.
A beginner should start with less-intense exercises such as power walking and then work the way up to more challenging activities.
When you hit plateau kick up your program by working at a faster pace or trying something new.
If you’re not sure where to start from I strongly recommend to talk to a certified nutritionist who will be able to advice on a good nutrition plan to losing weight gradually and safely.
Also, dramatic weight loss is difficult to maintain. Generally the faster and the more you lose, the more likely you’ll be putting back when you stop dieting.

Building muscle

If, besides losing weight, you also want to build muscle, that might take more time.
Are you aware of the plateau effect? In a nutshell, when you start working out, you’ll be able to put on a good amount of muscles immediately but as you keep exercising you’ll likely reach plateau and before you can increase your muscle mass again, more time will be needed.
For looking buff on the beach, essential is to do strength-train. Fitness experts generally recommend hitting the weights three days a week, targeting all major muscle groups. Ask to the personal trainers at your local gym for advice they’ll be able to guide you and create a working-out plan perfect for you.
But please take notice: working out too intensely, particularly if you've gone from couch potato to fitness fanatic, could put you at risk for injury. So do things gradually!

A good approach is your best friend

Start watching your diet and hit the gym right now, by June you’ll be in perfect shape.
And remember, patience and discipline are key factors.
Finding the time to exercise can be a challenge but if you’re committed you’ll be able to do it.
When it comes down to watching your diet a friend of mine found out that maintaining a food diary of everything he eats, and when, was aiding him in his “quest”.
To help cut calories, reducing portions and snacking on fruits and veggies instead of higher-calorie snacks.
Remember the golden rule: to lose a pound of fat you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories by eating less and exercising more.

Considerations

Remember, feeling good looks good. And even if you don't lose as much weight or get as toned as you'd like there's another big benefit to eating right and exercising: confidence.
Go to the beach this summer and own it!

The Iron You