7 Ways to Prepare for the Impending Doom...Swimsuit Season

Shhh.....it's almost here.

Since you’ll be easing yourself into a bikini or shorts in the next few weeks (always think positive), the time to set yourself up for success is NOW! Below are 7 things you should toss NOW that can sabotage your mission.  Use these simple strategies to jump start your program today!  Start by avoiding...
Artificially sweetened-anything!-Your brain is stimulated by the taste of “sweet” but unlike the body, the brain doesn’t make the distinction between what is sweetened naturally, and what is sweetened artificially -it just responds (something known as neuroexcitation).  The brain recognizes that the amount of sweetness in the foods you eat is not correlating with the amount of calories you’re ingesting.  This can interfere with the brain’s ability to regulate your calorie intake and so may potentially cause you to overeat (this is known as calorie dysregulation).  You can see why this is NOT desirable, right?  Aspartame is particularly excitatory to the brain and wouldn’t you know it, one of its side effects is the depletion of the “feel good” neurotransmitter serotonin which can cause, yes, more sugar cravings as your body attempts to reestablish proper balance. So eat sweet, crave sweet-at your own peril!

Oversized clothing-You might say that clothes that are baggy, too big for you, or have elastic waistbands are “comfortable” but you know better!  Their tendency to drape, hang, and cover are really just clever ways of “cheating.” The security of hiding behind baggy clothes tricks you into complacency about your appearance and worse, you think they will covertly camouflage the bloat and puffiness that come from overeating. Save the stealth maneuvers for another mission.  Out of sight, out of mind does not mean you can hide the truth from yourself.

Trigger foods-You know what they are for you!  Chips, ice cream, Reese’s peanut butter cups, anything your evil twin can’t say no to after 10 p.m.  Just don’t have them in the house!  Yes, that means even if you’ve “just bought them for the kids.”  You don’t want to be feeding that stuff to your kids anyway.

The DUST on your exercise equipment-My mechanic says, a serious piece of equipment like my car, needs a name.  Shouldn’t that apply to a serious …treadmill? So exactly how does it make Lucy feel to be covered in an inch of dust and a pile of clothes?  Not too good I would imagine.  You need to spend time with her, get to know her, make her feel useful!! You know how she loves to do those bursts!

Unnecessary obligations that are getting in the way of your nutrition, fitness, and wellness goals-Hesitant to schedule your workouts in your appointment book because something more important might come up?  Did you spend the day running errands but didn’t include a stop at the market for your organic chicken?  There is nothing more important than you, your health, and the commitment you made to yourself.  Have your assistant, your spouse, or even your kids help you with the “to do” list so you can attend to the things that will keep you focused on your program. If you need help staying motivated, visit my website for tips on staying motivated.

Any food that isn’t in the kitchen-With few exceptions, any food item kept in your nightstand, glove box, or purse, is likely to be something that will be eaten at an inappropriate time, or is something you probably shouldn’t be eating in the first place.  Most importantly, reinforce good, life-long eating habits by making sure you eat your meals in the kitchen. 

Anything white-Back in the day, Westerns portrayed the good guys as the ones wearing the white hats.  Well, that is no longer the case! Unless its cauliflower or unsweetened coconut, avoid eating anything white because it’s been processed, stripped of it’s nutritive value, and likely loaded with chemicals.  When you eat fresh, whole foods, the good guys win!

Spring is the time for new beginnings.  So take these bad habits, traps, and pitfalls and get rid of them!  Isn’t that what spring cleaning is all about?  This year’s swim suits should be arriving in stores, right about now...

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Fitness expert and integrative performance coach Jini Cicero, CSCS, teaches intermediate exercisers how to blast through plateaus to create incredible transformations. Are you ready to take your fitness to a whole new level?  Find out now!  Take Jini's "Are you Ready?" Quiz at www.Jinifit.com. © 2014 Jinifit, Inc.

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