At the end of the year everyone's thoughts turn to making a New Year's resolution, something that is rarely kept. However, in a subconscious way we go through the same process just before summer. All of us, men and women, feel a slight dread of having to "get naked", so to speak, when the summer weather invites us to get down to the beach, or pool, to swim, sunbathe or just enjoy the warmth on our skin. We can't do that in long sleeves and trousers!
The great cover-up of winter has left our bodies neglected, the colder weather has sometimes caused comfort eating, there could have been a lack of exercise to tone up, perhaps we had an illness which left us feeling lethargic. Life may have been hectic or stressful throughout the winter months and the last thing you feel like doing is squeezing into last year's swimming costume/bikini/ bermudas and emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon!
Don't despair, for men and women alike, I have put together a challenge in easy stages to get you on the way to making you feel like a new person when you meet the summer holiday routine of swimming, sunbathing and socialising.
Stage one of this challenge is to prepare yourself mentally. We are looking at a summer resolution in a different way! What is the point of giving you a list of things to do if somewhere inside you are saying - "this is not going to work"?
So initially I want to deal with procrastination. Let's get the mind-set right and all the rest will follow with ease.
Set your mind for summer
To procrastinate can cause more stress than getting on with the task in the first place. In other words, you are telling yourself you need to do something, but at the same time you are putting it off; a little fight is going on in your head and this, in turn, causes stress. So stop deferring the action, if you want to "get naked" then make a commitment to do it, and the stress of worrying about it will melt away. The commitment can involve writing down what you want to do, you could record it into a small memo recorder, you could enter it into your diary; whatever is good for you, there needs to be some record of your commitment. Getting fit for summer starts here.
To be more specific what do you want in order to get fit for summer? This will be different for everyone, so I can only make suggestions. Perhaps you want your body to look more toned, you may want to lose a clothes size, you may want to feel less lethargic and more energised, or decrease the stress in your life. Eating more nutritiously, caring for your skin and even preparing how to get through those days on the beach without resorting to eating junk food. We can deal with all these issues, but you, and only you, will know which ones you have to clarify in your mind before we start.
Preparing and prioritising is a good way to help yourself achieve your aim. Put pressure on yourself to do the jobs you hate; motivate yourself by looking for the good in every situation. Get the most difficult work out of the way by organising yourself, and your day, accordingly.
It is important to re-phrase your negative thoughts as soon as they pop into your head. If you do, you begin a process known as the law of attraction. We attract what we deserve. So begin to work at attracting a good body and a constitution full of energy.
To begin to create a positive mind-set, ask yourself: What do I want for summer fitness? Here are some suggestions:
• To tone up my body
• To lose weight by reducing a clothes size
• To feel more energised
• To regain my fitness
• To eat more healthily
When you have identified what you want, imagine yourself in that position now. Not in four weeks' time, but now! You already have a toned body, you have already bought a size smaller trousers or shorts, and you already are energised and fully motivated. It is vital that you are already where you want to be in your mind. When you have achieved that we are ready to go on to the next stage.
Tracking your food
There is no doubt that a very important factor in getting summer-fit is the food you have eaten throughout the winter, the food you continue to eat and the food you will be eating during the hot summer months. In order to find out where you are now you need to start completing a food diary.
The aim of this is to assess where you are at the moment, so be very honest, write down all your ingoing food and drink, as well as any activity you are doing at the moment. This is always a good exercise because at the end of the week you can assess exactly how your body is getting its fuel, what type of fuel it is receiving and how you are functioning with regards to symptoms and moods.
When we have looked at eating smartly for summer fitness, you can begin to exchange the way you eat now for a more healthy way. The liquid input can be exchanged if it isn't good enough to meet the demands of the summer and we can assess how you get through a day on the beach without resorting to buying junk food from the nearby vendor. Planning, planning, planning is what it's all about.
Tips for the food diary
• Make sure you have breakfast. • Eat at lunchtime which should be sometime between noon and 2.30 p.m. at the very latest. • Eat early in the evening so food digests and is used up in energy-burning pursuits. • Drink at least two litres of still water each day. • Plan your lunch in advance, so you don't reach for a sandwich or junk food every time. • Plan your dinner in advance. • Plan your breakfast the evening before. • Ensure you have a healthy snack within reach so you can nibble the right food mid-morning and mid-afternoon. • Plan your exercise schedule (more about that later). • Go food shopping with a plan in mind.
After getting your mind-set in a positive mode, determination and a will to succeed are required. Only you can provide that. I can give you the tools to work with, but you need to follow the guidelines and constantly tell yourself you are summer fit. If you can put this part of the challenge into place then the rest of it will be as easy as relaxing on the beach!
• Ms Borg is a member of the UK Guild of Health Writers
The great cover-up of winter has left our bodies neglected, the colder weather has sometimes caused comfort eating, there could have been a lack of exercise to tone up, perhaps we had an illness which left us feeling lethargic. Life may have been hectic or stressful throughout the winter months and the last thing you feel like doing is squeezing into last year's swimming costume/bikini/ bermudas and emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon!
Don't despair, for men and women alike, I have put together a challenge in easy stages to get you on the way to making you feel like a new person when you meet the summer holiday routine of swimming, sunbathing and socialising.
Stage one of this challenge is to prepare yourself mentally. We are looking at a summer resolution in a different way! What is the point of giving you a list of things to do if somewhere inside you are saying - "this is not going to work"?
So initially I want to deal with procrastination. Let's get the mind-set right and all the rest will follow with ease.
Set your mind for summer
To procrastinate can cause more stress than getting on with the task in the first place. In other words, you are telling yourself you need to do something, but at the same time you are putting it off; a little fight is going on in your head and this, in turn, causes stress. So stop deferring the action, if you want to "get naked" then make a commitment to do it, and the stress of worrying about it will melt away. The commitment can involve writing down what you want to do, you could record it into a small memo recorder, you could enter it into your diary; whatever is good for you, there needs to be some record of your commitment. Getting fit for summer starts here.
To be more specific what do you want in order to get fit for summer? This will be different for everyone, so I can only make suggestions. Perhaps you want your body to look more toned, you may want to lose a clothes size, you may want to feel less lethargic and more energised, or decrease the stress in your life. Eating more nutritiously, caring for your skin and even preparing how to get through those days on the beach without resorting to eating junk food. We can deal with all these issues, but you, and only you, will know which ones you have to clarify in your mind before we start.
Preparing and prioritising is a good way to help yourself achieve your aim. Put pressure on yourself to do the jobs you hate; motivate yourself by looking for the good in every situation. Get the most difficult work out of the way by organising yourself, and your day, accordingly.
It is important to re-phrase your negative thoughts as soon as they pop into your head. If you do, you begin a process known as the law of attraction. We attract what we deserve. So begin to work at attracting a good body and a constitution full of energy.
To begin to create a positive mind-set, ask yourself: What do I want for summer fitness? Here are some suggestions:
• To tone up my body
• To lose weight by reducing a clothes size
• To feel more energised
• To regain my fitness
• To eat more healthily
When you have identified what you want, imagine yourself in that position now. Not in four weeks' time, but now! You already have a toned body, you have already bought a size smaller trousers or shorts, and you already are energised and fully motivated. It is vital that you are already where you want to be in your mind. When you have achieved that we are ready to go on to the next stage.
Tracking your food
There is no doubt that a very important factor in getting summer-fit is the food you have eaten throughout the winter, the food you continue to eat and the food you will be eating during the hot summer months. In order to find out where you are now you need to start completing a food diary.
The aim of this is to assess where you are at the moment, so be very honest, write down all your ingoing food and drink, as well as any activity you are doing at the moment. This is always a good exercise because at the end of the week you can assess exactly how your body is getting its fuel, what type of fuel it is receiving and how you are functioning with regards to symptoms and moods.
When we have looked at eating smartly for summer fitness, you can begin to exchange the way you eat now for a more healthy way. The liquid input can be exchanged if it isn't good enough to meet the demands of the summer and we can assess how you get through a day on the beach without resorting to buying junk food from the nearby vendor. Planning, planning, planning is what it's all about.
Tips for the food diary
• Make sure you have breakfast. • Eat at lunchtime which should be sometime between noon and 2.30 p.m. at the very latest. • Eat early in the evening so food digests and is used up in energy-burning pursuits. • Drink at least two litres of still water each day. • Plan your lunch in advance, so you don't reach for a sandwich or junk food every time. • Plan your dinner in advance. • Plan your breakfast the evening before. • Ensure you have a healthy snack within reach so you can nibble the right food mid-morning and mid-afternoon. • Plan your exercise schedule (more about that later). • Go food shopping with a plan in mind.
After getting your mind-set in a positive mode, determination and a will to succeed are required. Only you can provide that. I can give you the tools to work with, but you need to follow the guidelines and constantly tell yourself you are summer fit. If you can put this part of the challenge into place then the rest of it will be as easy as relaxing on the beach!
• Ms Borg is a member of the UK Guild of Health Writers