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Dieting for Summer

Summer is a great time for relaxing at the beach and playing outdoors in the sun and surf. To be sure you are fit and healthy enough to fully enjoy the summer fun, shape up the smart way.

Whether summer is just around the corner or still months away, you can achieve a bathing-suit body with a bit of time and effort. By making small improvements to your eating habits and summer diet and by adding more exercise to your daily schedule, you'll be beach-ready before you know it.

Making Small Changes to Your Summer Diets
Here are a few small diet adjustments that will help you get started dieting for summer:

1. Drink more water: The average person needs 64 to 72 ounces of water per day to stay properly hydrated. To add more water to your daily diet, replace sodas and other sweetened drinks with water. Drink water with meals, and always take a water bottle with you wherever you go. To add a little flavor to your water, drop in a twist of lemon or lime.
   
   
2. Eat your fruits and veggies. With so many fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is easy to add your favorites to your summer diet. Replace candy bars and other refined sugary foods with fruit. Try adding fresh green onions and a red bell pepper to an egg-white omelet for breakfast, or top your fat-free yogurt with fresh strawberries and bananas.

For lunch, make a delicious salad using all your favorite vegetables, adding sections of a freshly peeled orange for an unexpected treat. Snack on your fruits and vegetables throughout the day. For dinner, try a low-fat stir fry featuring chicken breast and vegetables. The added produce will help you feel full while providing your body with needed nutrients and fiber.

1. Start your day the smoothie way: To start your day out with a tasty, healthy treat, mix your favorite fruit, low-fat milk or juice and ice cubes in a blender. In just minutes, you’ll have a tasty treat to take to the office or eat on the run.
   
   
2. Pare down your portions: Rather than stick to the traditional three-meals-a-day diet, try breaking your meals down into five or six smaller meals. This method will not only keep you fueled throughout the day, but it will also keep you from feeling hungry while giving you a better sense of portion control.
   
   
3. Move More: Adults should exercise moderately for thirty minutes at least five days a week or vigorously for twenty minutes at least three days a week. To ensure you get enough exercise, choose activities that you enjoy, such as walking, biking, swimming, running or yoga. For best results, vary your activities to include both cardiovascular workouts and strength and flexibility training.

Tips for Summer Diets
Here's a list of some weight loss tips to help you stick to your summer diets:

• Avoid fad diets: While you may, indeed, be able to lose a few pounds quickly on a fad diet, these diets often rob our bodies of needed nutrients or can seriously dehydrate us. It is far better to replace your less-than-stellar eating habits with healthier ones and to cut back on your portions.
  
  
• Practice strength training to build a better body: Many women are concerned that adding weight training to their workouts will cause them to bulk up and lose their feminine figures. In reality, adding weights to your workout will increase your metabolism and help your body burn more calories. Your muscles won't bulk up as long as you balance weight training with stretching.
  
  
• Avoid spot reduction exercises: While it is nice to think that specific exercises will help us tone up trouble spots such as abs or thighs, you are more likely to sufficiently shape your body through a low-fat diet and regular exercise program than through so-called spot reduction exercises.