Getting Ready for Swimsuit Season!

Bathing suits are hanging in every store I’ve seen.  Every single magazine is shouting to me from the front cover that it’s time.  There is no denying it.  Swim suit season is just around the corner.  Our choice as moms?  To hide and take cover for the entire season or to don a suit and have some fun with our families.  To me it’s a no-brainer.  Some of my favorite memories with my kids are made while we’re at the lake, on the beach, or in the pool…in swimsuits.

But I get it.  The LAST thing most of us at this time of year want to do is to think about swimsuits.  Much less begin the sometimes painful process of going into a dressing room to find out how many of them you thought you liked on the hanger simply “just didn’t work out.”  UGH.

So what’s a girl to do?  Whether you’re a bikini momma or a momma who dons the full body wet suit  to play with your kids in the water….we ALL wanna feel better about ourselves while in a swimsuit.  It’s normal.  It’s healthy.  It’s okay.  It’s good.

I’ve scoured every “bikini body” article I could possibly find.  They are all SO different with varying workout plans and things you can and can’t eat.  But guess what?  There were FIVE main constants that I found in so many of them.  And these are do-able.  I promise.

#1 DON’T STARVE YOURSELF

Skipping meals will only slow your metabolism.  Uhhhhh….why do that?

#2 MEAL PLAN HEALTHY MEALS

There are tons of websites that can be utilized when you are stumped about what to cook for your family.  We are so lucky that at the click of a mouse, we can find a zillion healthy recipes in seconds.  Try it.

#3 THIRTY MINUTES OF DAILY EXERCISE

Include BOTH cardio and resistance training.  Cardio and eating right will only get you so far.  You have to tone those muscles.  And the good thing about building muscle is that MUSCLE BURNS FAT all day long.  {I use a set of 8-12lb weights for my resistance training exercises with sprints up and down my street in between. Boom!  Cardio and resistance-training knocked out.}

#4 HEALTHY SNACKS

If you have easy-to-tote snacks packed and available to you, you are less likely to make a stop at a drive-thru.  It just takes a little prep work.  Keep in mind small, SNACK-sized portions, not MEAL-sized.

Great examples ::

almonds/dried cranberries

carrots/hummus

turkey jerky

grapes/string cheese

sliced tomato/feta/olive oil

rice cakes/peanut butter

yogurt/granola

trail mix

hard boiled eggs

banana/peanut butter

#5 DRINK WATER

Aim for 1/2 your body weight daily.  {For example, a person weighing 150lbs. would drink 75 ounces a day.}  Water is essential to your health.  Substituting water for other sugary, carbonated, high-calorie beverages is HUGE.

Do-able stuff, right?!?!?  If it feels overwhelming, take a couple at a time.  You can do this.  And remember, it’s more than just the way we look in a swimsuit, it’s our HEALTH. That silly swimsuit sure does help to keep us motivated though, huh?  Get it, girls!!!