The Summer Shred: What You Need to Get the Beach Body You Want

Committing to weight loss isn’t easy, and feeling like you want to break your diet doesn’t make you weak or doomed to fail. Anything worth having isn’t easy to get, but there are a few things you can do to help improve your likelihood of success. If you’re ready to go full-throttle into your summer shred, here’s what you need to do to get the beach body you crave.

Use Foods That Suppress Your Appetite

Eating foods high in protein can help suppress your appetite and keep you fuller longer. For example, if you choose to eat a breakfast containing eggs over one with cereal, you’re more likely to lose body fat over an eight-week period. High-protein meals also help prevent muscle loss. You could also try fat burn pills to accompany lean proteins like meat, fish, soy, and poultry to help you lose weight faster. Even a small glass of milk can help you curb hunger.

Drink Lots of Water

Water can increase fullness following a meal and can help prevent the mid-day sugar loss most 9-5 employees feel near the end of the day. Drinking two glasses of water immediately before a meal can help you eat 22% less, but you need to keep upping the hydration for this to work. Sometimes we’re not hungry, just thirsty, so keep a bottle of water near you at all times instead of a snack. If you’re not much of a water drinker, add a little sugar or carbonation to your bottle.

Exercise 5 Times a Week

Sustaining 30 minutes to 1 hour of exercise per day can increase your chances of losing weight and keeping it off long-term. Exercise reduces activation in the brain’s region associated with food cravings as well, so working out regularly can lower your motivation to eat. The feeling of fullness will stay longer and keep you focused on other things instead of your next meal. Eating a small meal after exercise can prolong the feeling of fullness and if you ate at other times.

Sleep at Least 6-8 Hours Per Night

Getting a beach body requires a lot of rest. Otherwise, you won’t recover from an intense exercise session from the night before. Short sleeps can increase the likelihood of obesity because feeling sluggish can lead to eating more quick or high-fat meals. Tired individuals who eat breakfast in the morning are less likely to stay full over 3 hours. Instead of compensating your energy through eating, ensure you get to be on time and sleep longer.

Reduce Stress

Stress affects every aspect of your body because it raises cortisol levels which increases food cravings. Cortisol releases during our body’s “Fight or Flight” response and removes resources from your bones, muscles, and organs to convert them into fuel. After the process is complete, you’ll become insatiably hungry and are more likely to binge as a result. Try to reduce stress levels by taking up yoga, reading, or another hobby that calms you and helps you relax.

Drink Coffee

Reducing calories can make us feel tired because our bodies aren’t used to the reduced energy and nutrients. Coffee can give you a little pep in your step and encourage you to see weight loss through to the end. Not only can coffee decrease your appetite, but it can produce a hormone in your gut that can promote a feeling of fullness. Decaffeinated coffee is more effective at reducing hunger cravings and could last three hours after drinking.

Visualize Eating Comfort Foods 

It sounds silly, but visualizing foods you want to eat can actually decrease your desire to eat them. Most of our cravings are related to the feeling we get when eating it, rather than the fullness food provides. Visualization is a great mind trick to play on yourself because it makes your brain think you’ve already eaten the food you wish to indulge in. It’s better to do this while the food isn’t in the house because you may be more tempted to have a snack.