60 Days Till the Start of Summer, Tips to Get Lean!

 

With spring in full bloom, many of you are looking ahead to summer. In fact, there are just 60 days until the official start of summer (June 21). If you haven’t hit the pool yet, pool season for you is right around the corner! In this article, we will discuss some valuable tips that will kick start your workout regimen to help you get leaner and fit between now and the start of summer!

Are you ready?

 

How to Lean Out the Best Before Summer

 

There are many ways to lean out, including diet and exercise. However, the best way to get lean in the 60 days before summer is to make sure that you’re doing it the right way and not making some common mistakes. For example, if you’re trying to lean out by eating less food, you need to ensure your body is getting all the healthy nutrients necessary in order for your muscles to not deteriorate. Some of the best ways you can lean out are:

 

Eat More Protein

Protein is the most filling nutrient because it keeps hunger at bay while also helping build muscle mass (which burns fat). Eating a high-protein diet can burn up to 80 to 100 more calories per day.

A high-protein diet can also make you feel more full, which can help you eat fewer calories overall, says Susan Bowerman, M.S., R.D., former assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and the author of Body Fuel for Sports and Fitness.

Some studies also show that people will eat 441 fewer calories per day when they eat sufficient protein. That’s enough to lose about a pound a week. Aim for about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (0.36grams per pound) of body weight to get lean fast before summertime.

Good protein sources include:

• Beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs
• Dairy products like milk and cheese
• Beans, tofu, legumes, and quinoa

 

 

Eat Healthy Fat in Moderation

Don’t go fat-free, but do watch your portions. You need moderate amounts of healthy fats to get lean this summer as part of a healthy diet.

These foods help you maintain muscle mass and burn fat by increasing your basal metabolism (the number of calories you burn at rest) and hormone production. Fats also keep you feeling full and help absorb nutrients.

 Foods with healthy fats include avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, grass-fed meats, nuts, and butter seeds. Try to limit saturated fats like those in red meat, fried foods, and whole milk dairy products.

 

Consume Fruits and Vegetables

 

Fruits and vegetables are essential parts of any diet and are especially helpful when trying to get lean in a short time. They are low in calories and fat and high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which will help with your fitness goals.

Generally, aim for at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day for optimal health benefits. Types of fruits and vegetables you can eat to get lean include: Apples, berries, oranges, grapefruits, kale, tomatoes, and broccoli.

 

Consume More Fiber

Fiber is essential for satiety (feeling full) and keeping your digestive system on track. Foods high in fiber, such as vegetables and fruits, take longer to digest, giving your body more time to absorb nutrients and have a satiating effect.

One study found that increasing your intake of fiber can help you lose weight faster, as it results in higher levels of fullness and greater weight loss for an individual over 18 months than a low-fiber diet.

Aim for 30 grams of fiber per day by adding more leafy green vegetables and fruits and a calorie deficit to achieve your fitness physique and health transformation before summer begins. Types of food with more fiber include:

• Beans and lentils
• Oats and whole grains
• Whole wheat bread, pasta, and brown rice
• Potatoes – leave the skin on when possible

 

 

Cut Back on Sugar and Refined Carbs

Eliminating sweetened drinks and refined carbs is a great way to slim down without feeling hungry or deprived. You’ll trim hundreds of calories per day by swapping out calorie-laden sugary foods such as soda, juice, desserts, and sugary salad dressing bread and crackers for healthy alternatives.

One study in overweight adults showed that swapping out sugary drinks for water over 12 weeks resulted in a fat loss of 9 pounds (4 kg).

There is also a strong correlation between sugar intake and obesity. One review found that every additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soda increased the risk of becoming overweight by 60% and the risk of obesity by 27%. Their sugar triggers more insulin release to the body than it needs. 

Here are a few examples of healthy foods to swap with sugary and refined carbs while on your fitness journey of getting lean before summer:

 

• Instead of drinking fruit juice, drink water with citrus slices
• Instead of eating cookies, snack on raw carrots with hummus
• Instead of a banana-split sundae, make a mixed fruit parfait
• Swap white rice and pasta with whole-grain or quinoa
• Swap vegetable oil and butter with coconut oil and extra virgin olive

 

Eat Whole Foods

Eating whole foods means eating natural foods in their most natural state with no processing or additives. If you want to lean out this summer, make sure that your diet consists of whole foods like:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains, and lean proteins like beans and fish
• Nuts, seeds, and legumes
• Fish, lean meats, and poultry (with the skin removed)
• Eggs and dairy products

Eating whole food reduces the number of calories eaten because the natural fiber content fills you up sooner, prevents overeating, and discourages snacking. Also, high-fiber foods like whole foods take longer to digest and help keep you feeling full longer.

When you eat whole foods or superfoods, you are naturally eating healthier because whole foods are those that have not been overly processed. Conversely, you can gain weight when you eat whole foods that are minimally processed in excess because they have low added sugar and sodium.

 

Determine Your Macros or Calories

Macronutrients consist of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Each macronutrient has a different amount of calories per gram. Protein has four calories per gram, and carbs and fat each have nine calories per gram.

They provide energy for your body to perform functions and help power your workouts. Each macronutrient also has its specific purpose that contributes to overall health.

Before you can begin leaning out, you need to know how many calories you need to take in each day. It will allow you to learn how many calories you need each day to achieve your fitness goal before summertime. That way, you won’t gain weight when trying to add muscle or lose weight when burning fat.

The number is based on age, gender, body type, and activity level. The average woman needs about 2,000 calories per day to maintain her weight and 1500 calories to lose one pound of weight per week; the average man needs about 2,500 calories to keep his weight and 2000  calories per day if he wants to lose one pound per week.

You can then calculate your macro-nutrient ratios (protein, fats, carbohydrates) based on your goals (lose fat or gain muscle).

 

How Do You Count Macros?

Once you have your macro numbers figured out, you can use an online calculator to plug in different foods and figure out how they fit into your daily diet.

For instance, if you want to burn fat by losing one pound of weight per week before the summer season begins, you must reduce the number of calories you consume to be less than you burn or burn more calories to generate a negative calorie balance.

To lose one pound, you must create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories. So if you cut 500 calories out of your diet each day for seven days, you’ll lose about one pound per week.

Using an online calculator, key in figures for your food to know how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you should cut to come up with 500 calories to create a caloric deficit of 3500.

You can also use sites like MyFitnessPal or Fitbit to track what you eat and ensure that it fits within your macro goals for the day.

Exercise Regularly

 

The best way to lean out is through diet and exercise. Exercise burns fat and builds muscle, which helps you burn more calories and maintain your weight.

Different exercises can help you lean out, including running, walking, swimming and biking. In addition to this activity, perform strength-training exercises to build lean muscle tissue, alternate these workouts with some steady-state cardio, or perform High-Intensity Interval training workouts before summer.

 

High-Intensity Interval Training Workout

HIIT is an exercise session that alternates intense bursts of activity with short rest periods. For example, one minute of sprinting is followed by a 30-second walk or jog.

These workouts are more efficient than traditional cardio. They will fire up your fast-twitch muscle fibers and boost metabolism, helping you burn fat faster. Plus, it will improve your endurance to train harder next time.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be performed with just your body weight or by adding resistance with dumbbells or a resistance band. All you need is 15 minutes and a timer.

Below is the list of combined HIIT best exercises you can perform in just 15 minutes to get lean before summertime. Set your timer for six rounds of 40 seconds on, and 20 seconds off. You’ll perform each exercise for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, then move on to the next activity and repeat until you’ve completed all five moves.

 

Round 1

• High Knees
• Push-ups
• Burpees
• Mountain Climbers
• Jumping Lunges

 

Round 2

 

• Reverse lunges per side
• Bicep curls (each arm) or bicep curls with a resistance band
•  Triceps dips
• Squats while holding weights at your chest or resistance band squats from a standing position
• Swings (using kettlebells or dumbbells)

 

Round 3

• Close-Grip Standing Press
•  Bent-Over Reverse Fly
•  Close-Grip Push-up
• Upright Row
• Bench dip

 

Warm-up before this summer and stay fit with health tips such as eating more fiber, exercising regularly, and cutting on added sugar and refined carbs. With just a few simple tweaks to your fitness routine, you will burn fat, maintain muscle, and keep yourself in balance.

Start practicing these summertime eating tips and exercising as early as today to kick off the summer with a lean and healthier body. Let the countdown begin!